Pansies and potatoes

I went to the store for glue today and, it being the first nice day of the year, of course the annuals were out front to tempt foolish gardeners. I managed to resist all but a single package of pansies.

They were just so colourful and green and bright amid the brownish gloom of late April. We usually put flowers out in a bucket by the boulevard and Jess and I plunked all six flowers in and watered. Fortunately, the pansies are frost hardy. There also looked to be a carnation in the bucket from last year so I left it to see if it had any life.

The rest of the past few days we have been raking and digging up sod for an expanded garden bed and generally puttering. I can sure feel the muscles in my arms!

Out back, we also planted potatoes. We again planted some blue caribe (foreground) as there were big producers last year. They have a purple skin and whitish flesh and were a delight to eat and stored well. These are an early-season potato.

In behind, we planted a bunch of blue Russians, which are late-season potatoes. They have dark purple skin and (I think) a purple-colour throughout the flesh. I think we need to wait for the season to catch up some before planting more. That said, the two new cold frames have finally melted out of the snowdrifts by the hedge and I'll seed them this weekend.