Wild Crocuses, Ducks and Flowers

I am excited to report that I saw our first wild crocuses blooming yesterday at the top of Picnic Hill near our place!  I will get a photo later when I go back up there for another walk once the sun is shining.  Crocuses love to open in the sunshine, which will make a beautiful photo, but otherwise they tend to close their petals.

The ice on the lake here is melting now as well, a sure sign of warmer weather!  There is about 3 to 4 feet of open water all around the perimeter of the lake shore right now. Our dog sat down in the ice cold water on our walk there yesterday. She loves to lie down in the shallow water of the lake on hot summer days to cool off. This was her first dip in 2012 and she didn't seem to mind the cold.

I am also pleased to note that the ducks are back on many of our local nearby ponds and I saw quite a number of ducks in the sky on my drive to town today.  I am so pleased to see their return. There is still a lot of ice on the ponds, but the ducks have found the open water around the edges and seem quite content with that for now.  I was happy to see some black and white ducks with a white eye patch not far from here, which I believe are Common Goldeneyes. I hope to have a 'Duck Shoot' soon (cameras only :) to add some photos.

On to gardening matters:

I not only potted up 3 dahlias, 3 tuberous begonias and 1 canna lily which are basking in the greenhouse, I added my numerous geraniums which I had over-wintered in the house from last summer.
I cut back most of the long leggy branches and plunked the geranium cuttings into pots of soil to try and start a few new ones. Most of the geraniums are pink, either Orbit 'hot pink' or multiple bloom pink or maestro lavender blue. I also have a deep bluey/red (Samba red) and a beautiful white geranium.  I over-wintered one "Martha Washington" geranium and 3 fancy leaf geraniums with orangey/red feathery flowers.

This year I will try not to be lulled into a false sense of security by a boute of warm weather (like I have in the past), only to have Jack Frost pay a visit when least expected! :)

Yesterday was 'Seed Day'.  I mixed some vemiculite with a bag of cheap potting soil and filled up a number of peat pots and 4 inch plastic pots. I dug out my seed stash and planted the following:

Early girl tomato seeds
Lemon Boy tomato seeds
Back Krim heirloom tomato seeds
3 types of squash seeds (spaghetti, butternut and delicata squash)
zucchinis
castor beans

Flowers:
Lavatara seeds
batchelor buttons seeds (corn flowers)
lupine seeds
foxglove seeds
Red Durango marigold seeds
wild bergamot
and a 'mystery flower' ... I don't remember where I took the seeds from, but judging by the pods, they might be a type of meadow rue.

To Do: Morning Glory seeds

Will be interesting to watch everything grow and develop..... I LOVE this time of year!   :D
Soon our fruit trees will start blossoming, beginning with our pear tree at the far end of the yard. I am eagerly anticipating the beauty to come! :D

Next issue: dormant oil

I have never used it before, but I  bought some recently think I will spray it on my red currant bush which gets a huge caterpillar and aphid infestation every year, and maybe my apple trees...
If anyone has any advice about the use of dormant oil, please let me know. Thanks! :)