Seeds and Such

Happy hour enthusiasts?

Or, avid gardeners in disguise?

I'm guessing gardeners!

Toasting the success of another wild and crazy... 
Seed Planting Party!

Friends claim that all they learned how to do in college was drink beer. Perhaps they're missing the big picture.

Drinking beer might be all I learned how to do but I'm not asking for my tuition money back. No, no... I'm putting this knowledge to fine use!

16-ounce clear plastic drinking cups make great containers for starting little seedlings. (Poke 3 or 4 holes in the bottom for drainage.)

Why Clear?

- The price is right. As in practically free. They cost about 1/10th the price of those fancy little seed starter systems.
- Plus, they work like an ant farm. You get to see what's happening underground!



Everybody seems to love those seed pellet starter systems but I'm just not a fan.

Too small: I like to give my seedlings a fighting chance by growing larger plants indoors, before hardening them off for transplant into the garden.

A bit frustrating: The fabric mesh that holds those seed pellets together never goes away. I thought they decomposed in the soil, but now I know I need to tear the mesh off of them before planting in the soil.

Hatching in my sunny window ~ an entire Coneflower garden, great big Zinnias, Sweet Peas, Blue Cupidone, Linaria, and pretty Aubrieta.

* Wondering where YOUR seeds are? I've been quite the lazy gardener but I am getting my act together over the weekend and you should have them very soon.

Tip:
Seed-starting mix makes a big difference. It contains more nutrients than potting soil, encouraging healthy growth.

Sprouts!

Painted Daisy ~ the first of my seedling army has sprouted!

From the indoors, looking out, it's a pretty day. Particularly if you're hard of hearing.

Bright blue skies... intense sunshine.

I've squeezed about 100 seedlings into the big, bay window. Each morning, I see a new green sprout peeking out of the soil.

The sunshine had me dreaming up all sorts of adventures for this [day off!] President's Day. That is, until I heard the loud roar of the wind.

Followed by the windows rattling. A thumping sound. Something is banging against the side of the house...? That can't be good.

1 lonely Tomato and 99 flowering perennials. Give or take a few dozen that will more than likely croak. Fingers crossed it's not my tomater.

If my little seedlings make it until planting season, hooray. I'll have a brand new garden.

If they don't, that's okay, too. Because they accomplished their primary goal ~ warding off cabin fever.

Thanks to plentiful storms, February can be a volatile month. So, it's kind of fun to dig in the dirt and plan for warmer days.

Upcycle! Leftover drink cups from the 4th of July party make great seedling containers, providing the depth seeds need for long, strong roots.


There's no real digging in the dirt going on here but then you already knew that, didn't you? Peat, perlite and vermiculite make a nice, loose soil-less soil that holds more oxygen, retains more water and has more nutrients than the stuff in your backyard. I like Jiffy seed mix but I DO NOT like Jiffy Peat Pots. They're too small and the mesh wrappers don't naturally break down in the soil.

* Here's a pretty good reason why I hate wind.

Daisy Girls

Prairie Sun Rudbeckia 

It's seed planting time! Fresh seeds for the ever-growing Daisy garden are percolating in my sunny window.

I've been eagerly anticipating Friday ever since the Monday morning alarm went off. Life is busier than I think it should be. That's had me a tad grumpy all week long.

Forced to cancel Friday Afternoon [hiking] Club. On this bright & sunny, winter day I've been shackled to the computer doing all sorts of must do's vs. want to do's.

Giant Painted Daisies ~ Last year's batch bloomed in neurotic pink. Hoping for bright, happy red this time around.

It's been an odd week. Bad Dog took a road trip to Vegas. The dog gets invited on vacations and I do not. Go figure.

In the dismal little town of Mesquite, Nevada he experienced his first ever In & Out Burger. Has refused to eat kibble ever since.

White Knight Shasta Daisies: 3 feet high with the biggest blooms you've ever seen.

Some things I simply cannot bring myself to spend money on. Expensive gallon pots of Daisies, during gardening season, being one of those things. These gals bloom about the same time, at about the same height (3 feet tall) and if I were to purchase these one gallon bloomers in springtime it would set me back about $200. Or, $3.89 for the seeds.

Here's hoping you all have a marvelous weekend. I have to work. :(

Strawberry Moon

Just as the moon pulls the tides in the oceans, it also pulls the subtle bodies of water. Tests have proven that seeds will absorb the most water at the time of the full moon - and germinate faster during this time in the lunar cycle.

In case you haven't figured this out by now... Full Moons make ya nuts. If you don't believe me, look back on this volatile week. Everyone I spoke to was having a rough time of it. Even I went off and I hardly ever go off. I blame that on the Domino Effect... when everyone is raising hell about something it inspires me to do the same, darn thing.

Full Moon names date back to the Algonquin tribes of Native Americans. This one is so named because the strawberry harvest comes each year during the month of June.

So, calm down. You survived. Make yourself a Strawberry Daquiri and celebrate. While you're lovin' life, plant some seeds. Better yet, strawberries. They adapt very well to high altitude gardens.*

Live for the moment, while you can... Because if you thought this was a rough week, hang onto your hat. Full moons come around every 29 days ~ which means June has another trick up her sleeve. She's planning to hand you a blue moon on 6/30.

* Fragaria 'Ozark Beauty' is a sweet, ever-bearing strawberry that's fast, fast, fast. Yummy berries in 6 short weeks.

Strawberry Daquiri Recipe:

• 1 oz light rum
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup shmushed, fresh strawberries
• 3 oz frozen lemonade