Spring Jobs 'To Do List', Planning A Plant Exchange, Successful Plant Division and Yummy Chicken Paprika!

personal Eden. I anxiously await the first buds to pop on the
lilacs… those small, brave tulips and daffodils, reaching up out
of a cold, hard ground to the warming sunshine ready to burst
forth into simple beauty! I love that first trip out to my potting
shed after the winter… the smell and then the challenge of
tidying up and reorganizing.  An early morning stroll through The
Potager scanning for baby lettuces sprouting from scattered
seeds… imagining the bounty and longing for my quiet time that I
am able only to have in my gardens. If you are an avid gardener or
if this is your first season in the dirt, lets look to those
promises and plan on a great new gardening year!  Enjoy friends!

Be sure to go to my blog spot to see all the great photo’s that go
along with this post at www.fordragonfliesandme.blogspot.com and “Like” my new Facebook page for Dragonflies. 

Most of my readers know that I love anything to do with
organization and List Making. I could never do without lists… grocery,
housework, to-do, seed inventories or packing for trips (not that
I take many, LOL). Lists make our lives easier, especially for
forgetful folks like me! Today we’ll focus on Spring Garden
Jobs. I am attaching a file with my personal list rather
than typing it for you to save and print out if/when you would
like. You have my permission to use and share it with friends for
personal use. (SEE ATTACHMENT).  Feel free to add to this list
items that I have not included or delete things that don’t pertain
to you.

Keep a journal!  A journal can be your best friend
if you let it. Document all the changes you make, take photographs
of major projects, renovations and specific growth of particular
plants that you want to watch mature over years, like trees.  I
stand my children beside a newly planted tree and take a photo
every year. It is amazing to see how much they both grow and
change! 

I also go over to see what plants will
need to be split, pitched and replaced if died over the winter and
what spots need to be filled in.  Keeping these detailed notes
also allows me to remember who may have given a special plant.
Along with the who, what and when there is no more guessing on age
or variety. It also gives you the ability to see what worked and
didn’t. I know as a busy wife, mother, farmer, market vendor and
manger, I could never remember everything that I change, plant or
didn’t like/work. 

Here are a couple really good site’s to check out for gardening
info!
Gardening Tips and Tricks 
http://www.facebook.com/GardeningTipsAndTricks?ref=stream
Weekend Gardener at   http://www.weekendgardener.net/do-list.htm
Seeds Of The Month Club 
http://www.facebook.com/SeedsOfTheMonthClub?ref=stream

Be sure to keep posted, coming up in my next post I will touch on
DRAWING UP YOUR GARDEN PLAN!
Planning a Plant Exchange
is a great way to share all those ‘splits’ you will end up with
this Spring after cleaning up your beds. I know for myself, I can
hardly pitch a plant, it just seems mean! A plant exchange is not
only rewarding and fun, it’s a great money saver in the long run.  As most of you know I also love to entertain… I
don’t get to do it as often as I would like, but when I do I try
to make it special for my guests! I gave all the How-To’s last
year on hosting a Plant Exchange (XXXXX), so today I thought I’d
focus on some info on types of plants that transplant well.  I
have also added tips on division and transplanting.

Helpful tips to prepare for the Plant Exchange: 
(Taken and adapted from Country Gardens Magazine, Spring 2006, pg.
55-57).
How to divide, care for and prepare your transplants for the
exchange:
*The best time to divide a plant is shortly after it emerges in
spring.
*Try to divide the plants as close to the plant exchange date/time
as possible.
*Loosen the soil around the plants perimeter and then use a sharp
spade or knife to cut through the roots to divide.  Be sure to
keep a large root clump with the plant to ensure successful
transplanting.
*Put your divisions in practical, temporary containers: paper
cups, disposable aluminum muffin cups, tin cans, plastic
containers, plastic plant pots/ terra-cotta pots or any other
container you have handy. Just be sure to add drainage holes to
water tight containers. 
*Give a tag/label with each division including: name/variety of
plant, sun/shade requirements, mature plant size- height and
diameter, water/soil requirements, zone hardiness, perennial or
annual. A nice description for ‘new’ gardeners will be so
appreciated.
*Make sure to plant/water as soon as possible once you have the
plants in their new location.

How to harvest seedlings:*Be sure that the seedlings are at least 3-5 inches tall with
at least 2 sets of true leaves.
*Get all the plants roots.
*Replant the seedling into a small container with appropriate
drainage holes and gently water immediately.

Plants that divide easily and transplant well include:
*Hosta’s
*Day Lilies
*Bleeding Heart
*Peony
*Bee’s Balm (Monarda)
*Black Eye Susan, Shasta Daisy’s and any Coneflowers
*Columbine
*Sedum
*perennial Geraniums
*Hellianthus
*Purple Bellflower
*any early blooming bulbs that have bloomed and died back at least
half way- Snow Drops, Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips
~I always say, if in doubt, do without… so if you are not sure
about one of your plants, ASK! Or look up in a good garden guild
any special tricks that certain plants may have before you divide
if you are not sure.

This is a very favorite recipe in our
home. It was Neil’s mothers recipe that she had made and over the
years I have adjusted it a bit to serve our large family. It is
super yummy and worth the efforts in making!

Chicken Paprika

1 Whole Chicken, cut into pieces with or without skin/bones
1/2 cup Safflower Oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 large onion, diced
8 cups water
2 Tbsp. Paprika
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 bag Spaetzel dumpling noodles

1. Put flour in a large bowl; coat each piece of chicken and place
in a large skillet with hot oil, reserve left over flour; fry
chicken pieces in hot oil until browned all all sides; remove
chicken to plate.  Put remaining flour and diced onions in pan and
cook for about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add to skillet and onions: water, paprika, salt and pepper and
cooked chicken; cover and simmer for 1 hour.  The water will
thicken as it cooks. Stir occasionally.
3. While chicken is simmering, cook Spaetzel dumpling noodles
according to package directions so they will be ready when
chicken/gravy are done; about 1/2 hour before.
4. When chicken is done, remove from gravy into a bowl; cover to
keep warm; add sour cream to gravy and blend in until dissolved.
5. When dumplings are done put them in a bowl and ladle 1/2 of the
gravy over top and the rest over the chicken. 
Serve immediately. 

Spring Garden Job To Do List, by Jean Smith
May be copied and used for personal use only.
Date	Task			Comleted Y N		Notes
	Front Porch/Patio Areas
	sweep/ blow/ rake
	put out furniture
	repot planters/ window boxes
	repairs if any- make note is so
	touch up painting-		pots
			furniture
			structures
	correct any patio stones
	new project
	new project
	new project
	Flower Bed Clean/Prep
	clean any debres left over
	check for dead plants
		remove and replace
		make note of what
	amend soil/add fertilizer
		make note of what
	Divide plants
		make note of what
	Plant	trees
		shrubs
		list what & when
	Direct seed any spring flowering annuals
		Forget me not
		dianthus
		English daisy
		sweet William
		viola
	Transplant	before leaf buds open
		roses
		shrubs
		ornamental trees
	Fertilize Peonies when 2-3 inches tall
	Divide and transfer any flowering bulbs after they have died back	and divide flowering bulbs after they have died back
	Clean ponds/fountains/water featues
		repairs- make notes
	other
	other
	other
Date	Task			Comleted Y N		Notes
	Vegetable Garden/ Raised Beds
	amend soil
		make note of what
		make note of when
	clean any debris
	plant spring crops when soil is ready
	EARLY	peas		greens		spinach		chard
		radishes		lettuce		kale		parsley
	LATE	potatoes		carrots
		onions		beets
	check trelises/ posts/ fences
	repair raised beds if loose
		add soil if needed
	Potting Shed/ Storage Shed
	General Tidy after winter
	sweep out
	re-organize pots/ labels
	repair any tools that need
	oil/ sharpen tools
	inventory items:
		dirt
		seeds
		flats/trays/pots
		ferilizer/herbicides/
		insecticides
		labels/
	other
	other
	other
	check hoses/sprinklers
	make a list of what you need as you go
	check mower- plugs
		sharpen blades/replc.
	check tiller(s)
	have supply of gas/oil for machines
	other
	other
	other
	other
	Pruning/ Propogation
	evergreen shrubs before growthj		re growth
	spring flowering shrubs after flowering
	propagate deciduous shrubs
		forsythia
		winter jasmine
Date	Task			Comleted Y N		Notes
	Weed/Pest Control
	make sure debris is cleaned up to avoid snails and slugs
	as soon as roses start to leaf out, dust with an organic powder
		repeat once a month all summer!
	watch for Tent Worms in your trees, webs in trees
		as soon as visiable, spray with organic spray
	****use burn technique*** please research this before you do it.
		on sidewalks
		driveways
		garden

Happy Day,
Jean
www.fordragonfliesandme.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/For-Dragonflies-And-Me/550000798362651?skip_nax_wizard=true
www.wreninthewillow.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wren-In-The-Willow/137572243072292?ref=hl