Planting Veggies and Ignoring the Snow

There was a mini snowstorm here this afternoon, but the only lingering snow is in shaded heaps leftover from winter snow removal. We don't ever hope for a snow-free April here, but I do feel a little more justified in my disgust when it snows in May, or June...or July.
Does your police service include this kind of transportation?:

I was proud that I held back on planting my vegetables until this last week, hoping that they don't get too big before moving outside. Looking at my seed hoarde, I think that most of my indoor-start seeds are now in the soil (okay, technically, they are in a soil-less seed-starting mix). The remainder will be seeded directly outside. Come to think of it, now is the time to put out the poppy seeds.
Flower seedlings:

I start most seeds in little pots under the humidity dome on the right. That tray also has a heating mat underneath it, which helps some seeds germinate. Once they sprout, I transplant them into the other trays. I am not transplanting the tomatoes or pumpkins though, so those ones get their own pots from the start. I have three shelves, each with 4 fluorescent light tubes (half cool white and half aquarium/plant tubes). The top two shelves are partially heated by the lights hung underneath them, so the orchids on the top shelf are pretty happy.

I am growing a plum heirloom tomato and Tumbling tom cherry tomato this year. That should be nice for fresh-from-the-patio eating. I also have some Small Sugar pumpkin seeds sown and under the lights. They have a season of about 100-110 days, which is longer than our frost-free season, so they must be started indoors.
Tomatoes and other seeds awaiting germination:

Junction of land with the ice road on La Ronge lake (now includes puddles) and our dog:

Buds on a willow tree - sure sign of spring:

Northern Gardening: Pinehouse

Seeing gardening spread is an exciting thing, especially in the Canadian north. The medical clinic at the northern community of Pinehouse has decided to do another vegetable garden this year, despite rumors of minimal success last year. The community is located northwest of La Ronge, in a similar climate zone (1b) in the northern boreal forest. It has a small grocery store, but of course, access to fresh fruits and vegetables is quite limited, as is the case for most northern communities. Consequently, the residents can get quite accustomed to diets lacking in healthy foods.
Pinehouse medical clinic:

Aerial view of Pinehouse. The large building on the right is the new rink:

A plot of private land is also said to be planned for community gardens and Grade 4 students will be growing vegetables this year as well. Harnessing the enthusiasm of kids is a great way to garden, with the benefit of having the kids experience the taste of fresh-grown vegetables. I know that one of our junior gardeners loves to eat onions straight from the garden, but never would touch them otherwise.
Boats on the shore of the lake - fishing is a big activity here:

There are already some purchased tomato plants ready to go in the clinic garden, soaking in light from the windowsill. I hope these tomatoes make it until they are ready to plant out in June, as they may need re-potting before then. I find that peppers and tomatoes have very large root systems and need relatively large pots.
Supplies - notice the bag of Fritos behind the peat pots on the left:

They also have some seeds for carrots, cucumbers, beans, and lettuce, as well as some onion sets. Those seeds should be planted outside in May, though the cucumbers could be started indoors over the next few weeks in order to get cucumbers earlier in the season. I will be anxious to see how this garden grows and inspires the community to grow their own food. Perhaps we will find some new crunchy fresh green snacks as alternatives to chips and colas!
The weather was great today, so people were outside walking and biking:

Houses along the shore in Pinehouse:

Hopefully I get to see some northern commmunity vegetable gardening in action this summer!

Flowers Sprouting!

The little seeds are transforming from dull little shapes from paper packets into green sprouts of spring joy. I see the snow melting off the grass and soil, but tell myself not to get too excited. There WILL be more snow. Let's remember that our northern winter clings on with tenacity.

Indoors, however, the flower seeds are sprouting. I usually start each type of seeds in a single pot and then transplant each seedling to its own pot after germination. The lobelia seeds are very tiny, so clumps of those seedlings got transplanted to the new pots.
Lobelia seedlings:

The larger seeds could likely be easily started in their own pots without transplantation, provided that the germination rate is fairly high. I hate to plant a single seed in a whole bunch of pots only to have a handful actually sprout. I'm mostly growing annuals this year, reducing my need to go and buy them. I find them quite expensive, but growing my own from seed is really quite cheap and enhances my mental health anyhow. I'm even teaching the junior gardeners about talking to plants.

Outdoors, it is reassuring to see that the evergreen perennials are still green, and not mostly brown like they looked spring. Last winter was a wickedly cold one that killed many plants. Things look okay so far, with green creeping phlox, saxifraga, and a few other signs of life in the rock gardens.
Saxifraga in the rock garden (covered in snow until 3 days ago):

Bergenia cordifolia (evergreen perennial) under the ash tree: