A couple of weeks ago, I pulled on a sweater and stepped outside to plant some seedlings. I needed to get my hands dirty and it was definitely time. Although the seedlings would have to be taken inside once I planted them, I thought they should enter their new life stage in the fresh air, where they would eventually wind end up anyway. So, I gathered my supplies: peat pots, seeds, labels, seed starter, hot tea, etc.
Growing my own food is what originally got me interested in gardening. This soon followed by my love of anything that grows in dirt, and even
things that don't need dirt to grow. I love to eat, I love to cook, so it makes perfect sense that I developed a love of growing the food that I would then cook and eat. If I were a property owner I would surely be eating
fresh eggs for breakfast that I gathered in my own backyard. Alas, that will have to wait.
Seeds are really pretty simple. To begin, seed starter goes into peat pots. Give it a good watering before putting the seeds in, so you don't accidentally wash away the tiny ones. Make a hole in the soil with your finger.
Place seed or seeds (if they are teeny tiny) into the hole. Cover with a little bit of the seed starter, and there you have it. You can keep them in a sunny window until the frost date, or put them under grow lights. I spray my seedlings twice a day to moisten them, and put a little water in a tray underneath them a couple of times a week to moisten the peat pots. This allows them a good soaking twice a week, but also allows them to dry out a bit, so the peat pots don't end up molding, since they can hold a lot water.
Some seeds come up as soon as 3 to 4 days after planting, and some take a couple of weeks to begin showing signs of life. Below: thyme, swiss chard, lemon balm and arugula reach for the light.
Sometimes the strangest things happen. Last year I planted some corn mache salad greens in one of my beds. They never came up, and now, here they are below. They were quite a surprise to me the other day.
It's always nice to go outside and see progress without having to do anything! All thanks to last years work and of course, perennials. I have already taken advantage of these tasty chives that are going crazy!
Tarragon, sage and oregano are slowly waking up after the long winter.
You're liking this whole no work thing? Yep, me too. Strawberries, mint, lavender, and rosemary, among other things, will all spring up again next year.
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