Getting Ready for Summer

I don't know why we do it...but we Northerners seem to think, every year,  that we will have July temps in May!  It's just not going to happen...never has...never will.  At least not in our neck of the woods!  People get anxious to get out planting in their gardens...green houses have been advertising for weeks...and I guarantee if poor little annuals got planted now...they would freeze their petals off!!
Our over night temps are in the single digits...frost is still occurring.   Mr. Seventies never puts a seed in the vegetable garden until after the new moon in June!  Just his rule of thumb...and it works for him!  Seed potatoes, onion sets or lettuce..they can be planted now...but everything else waits til June.  And we have a lush, prosperous garden every year!

Today the mercury reached +18 C...with a strong southwest wind.  A decent day for getting some outside raking, spring bulb planting & our $20 patio table painted!  Mr. Seventies gave it a good sanding to remove the bumps and rough spots..then applied two coats of paint.  After having not one, but two glass patio tables explode...we were not about to make that mistake a third time.  When I saw this little table on Kijiji late one fall...I knew it was the perfect size for the small deck. It just needed some TLC.

Usually we wait until the decks get a fresh coat of stain...but this year we decided we can remove everything on the day we plan to stain the floors.  My outdoor area rug is down...just waiting for the table & dining chairs.

My umbrella from last year was quite faded...still in great shape...but the sun had really bleached it out.  Ordered this pretty one from Walmart....love that it came with a zippered cover as well.  On the look out for some pretty place mats & table ware.  Considered chair pads...but they are such a pain to bring in each night...decided to forgo them this year.  The chairs are very durable and quite comfortable...and I do have cushions I can toss on them if need be. 

And my window boxes are done!  Painted that is...sadly I ran out of pansies!!  Trying "faux" pansies this year...not only are the planters up high...making watering a real pain...but no matter what we planted in previous years...the heat was too much!  Even when we went with what the greenhouses suggested...nada.  I realize these are going to fade in the sun...and if they become colourless...I will pull them out.  I cut two pool noodles in half for each box...and used them to poke the flowers in to.  Both Dollarama locations here....are sold out of pansies!  Go figure!  They had dozens and dozens of them when I purchased mine...wish I had purchased double the amount.  Will be checking stores on the mainland in a few days...keeping fingers crossed they have a good supply.  

I received a new fire pot for Mother's Day!!  So excited to snuggle up outside when the evenings warm up and we can get a fire blazing!