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.

Upcycle

In honor of Earth Day, 4/22, we're looking for new uses for items that would be heading to the recycle bin. It's what we call upcycling.

Wunx had such a clever idea, I thought I should pass it along. Two-litre, plastic Coke bottles make great, temporary planters for big perennials who have outgrown their seed pots.

Have you ever noticed that most of the perennials you purchase from the garden shops have a thick, circular matt of roots at the bottom of the pot? They won't change their bad habits, when placed in the ground. These 12-inch deep 'planters' allow plenty of wiggle room for a healthy root system.

Tip:
Buddy up to the neighbors who have teenage kids. It's your best bet for finding left over soda bottles. Don't bother with the neighbors who have younger kids. They're still slightly brainwashed by Mom & Dad. (They probably haven't figured out that the stories about juice being 'better' than soda are lies, all lies.)