Sunday, April 3, 2016

Hope springs eternal...

The tomatoes are thriving.  I wish it would warm up enough so I could begin to harden them.  It was warm enough to set them out today, but the wind would have blown them away.  I still have hope I can baby them to success.
I had an epiphany today on organizing my seeds.  Of course my brilliant idea came after a morning of chaos.  I had seeds scattered everywhere.  I planted a frustrating flat, because I couldn't find everything I was looking for.   
I found a small crate and then added three smaller crates inside.  Then I organized my seeds and clipped them with a labeled clothes pin.  I found out I really like to order peas and need to plant a lot of them this year.  I had pea packets everywhere.  

My lettuce and spinach are up in the greenhouse.  I am very excited about that.  There is nothing better than fresh greens.  Today was a good day to plant cabbage and carrots in the greenhouse.  I know it will probably freeze a few times after they are up.  It will be an experiment to see how tough they are.  I know the spinach and lettuce are strong.  I've planted them in the fall and had success.  When it gets cold they just play dead.  Then the next warm day they spring to life.
I planted a flat with peppers, parsley, tomatoes, broccoli, luffa, pumpkins, and ground cherries.  I found these neat Burpee labels in the store.  My delight turned to dismay when I watered the seeds and the marker washed right off.  I found a permanent marker and tried again.  I'm beginning to feel doomed about knowing what I plant where.  There is a nice diagram and everything is relabeled, so maybe, just maybe, I will know what I planted where this year.
It  sounds like the snow isn't over.  I will leave you with the snowmen made by my students.  It was the carpentry class, and they made sure he had a hardhat, tool belt, and work gloves.  The kids told me that the other snowman only has one eye, because it wasn't wearing it's safety gear.

Have you planted your seeds yet?  What do you plant in flats and what do you plant in the ground?  

7 comments:

  1. Just planted some herbs and spag. squash yesterday - in little starter pots. I too have lots of seeds for this plant or that:) Funny how our brains work (or don't) sometimes. Today, all day tilling and weeding where those tender sprouts will go in a few weeks. We're apt to freeze too so it's not good to be this anxious. Bet the green house is nice.

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  2. I direct seed all my cole crops, then I spread them out in the garden.Chicks came early this last week that were incubated.Don't think anything will get in early, the cold keeps returning. I was in a parka starting yesterday and had the door open at dinner.

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  3. I buy from Farmer's Markets these days. Still traveling for work and having a vegetable garden would be too much. However, your efforts certainly brought back memories of helping my grandparents start seedlings anticipating wonderful crops for us to enjoy! XOXO

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  4. I have some nice tomato and pepper seedlings that are looking pretty good in my flats. A few cantaloupe too. I really want to start some more seeds under window glass (poor girl's greenhouse) in my raised bed. I'm going to try it anyway.

    Your tomatoes are beautiful BIG! How did you start those whoppers?

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  5. Awww, the poor little snowmen on the grass. Cute! I do not start any seeds indoors anymore, and judging from the success of my gardens over the past couple of years, maybe I should change my ways! Those tomato plants look good and strong -Jenn

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  6. I have got so lazy at planting seeds. I have started them in Jan. then babied them and spoke lovingly to them. For months. Then I take my leftover seeds and stick them in the ground on Mother's Day Weekend, which is when I plant my garden and I watched the unloved seeds grow faster than the babied ones, so now I just plant in the ground. We normally don't get frost after Easter. I don't know who came up with that but that is what they say around here. Who knows what will happen this year, since I plant in May, it doesn't matter. I love your tomatoes. They are just beautiful. We will be in the 90s tomorrow so we are already hot for here. I wish I could send you some warm weather for your seeds. I liked your clothes pin idea.
    Have a nice week!

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  7. I planted lettuce in flats and now have had those in the garden for a couple of weeks. Peas are up as is the spinach I seeded in the garden. I will get to pick those since we won't move from here until the end of June. No other plantings for me though except in containers once we are settled in our new home. I'll be a balcony gardener until I can get a garden plot assigned to me.

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