gardening…almost a year later

if you have been here from the beginning you will remember my love of gardening. last summer i think i gave you updates every week on how my garden was growing. we discussed how i started my seeds and when…last year i got a late start, which in turn gave me a late harvest. this year however, i started almost a month early, not only that, i am hardening up some plants i bought (beets, broccoli, miscellaneous herbs) which i do every year.

every year (see last year here) i start my seedlings with a jiffy professional greenhouse. this year i found something even more exciting, jiffy now makes a seed starter kit (most likely they always have but the store i shop in only started carrying it).

you might be asking yourself why the switch (you might not though, so just stick it out, please…)?…while i have been in the midst of cleaning out my garden i have been finding pellet covers. this probably wouldn’t bother everyone but for me, it did. i threw out almost 20 netted pellet covers. i just really dislike making extra trash. this year, this seed starter does not contain pellets, instead, you just add compost. easy peazy (is that a little to naked chef for you?).

this seed starter is easy and very much like the little pellets i used to buy…

1. fill the cells with seed starter or compost and dirt.
2. plant seeds and cover, do not stick in the sun, keep them in doors.
3. mist every day with a little bit of water and keep covered.
4. when seeds first start sprouting, keep the tray vented…prevent mold from occurring too.
5. when all your plants have sprouted, and it’s a nice day, start putting them outside, not in direct sunlight at first. place them in the shade one or two days and then you can feel free to put them in the sun.
6. when you have no fear of frost and your plants have really hardened up, plant.

easy right? so easy and so worth it.

this year i managed to get my hands on some seeds from my sons school. they have this magnificent garden that all the kids work on (see here for a quick look). they packaged up the seeds and sold them to raise money for the garden. wonderful idea and i was supper happy to support it. i also managed to get my hands on some heirloom seeds. we found this really interesting tomato and believe it or not, flowers that attract good bugs to your garden.

i usually let the kids pick out what we are growing (i edit a little because last year we have way to many tomato plants).

see the little buggers…they go through every herb. they smell and rub the leaves, i let them each pick out 2. i usually end up with to much rosemary (which is not one of my favorite herbs) and tons of mint (which always come in handy for tea making and salsa). this year the little monkeys picked out some interesting plants:

• pineapple mint
• lemon and chocolate thyme
• bulls blood beets
• gypsy broccoli
• tarragon
• raspberries
• blackberries

the seeds:

• cilantro
• basil
• chives
• we are trying to sprout garlic for scapes
• tomatoes, 3 kinds, cherry, brandywine and cosmonaut
• lettuce
• kale
• peas
• snap peas
• pole beans
• purple string beans
• fennel
• butternut squash
• melon
• cucumbers

what came back from last year:

• mint
• lemon balm
• strawberries

seems like a lot right? i usually plant as much as i can, i think i have over 144 cells, just to see what takes. I find that i give most of the seedlings away to friends when they harden. you never realize how much you actually have till it all starts growing!

have you started your garden yet?