Notes from the Nursery
Friday, April 13, 2007
Without a basement or a spare room -- or, only in my wildest dreams, a greenhouse -- my plant nursery resides on the living room floor. Tray number one is loaded with tomato and pepper plants: 28 tomatoes and 14 peppers! That's far too many for the two of us, of course, but I tend to plant more seeds than necessary since, inevitably, some won't grow well or make it through the transplanting stage. The extras I'll give away to fellow community gardeners. I started these plants from seed in January, and we still have about a month to go before I can set them outside.
Tray number two is a menagerie of things: lobelia, snapdragons, and one dahlia that has grown off the charts (or at least beyond the grow light in this case). I also have a watermelon plant, two butternut squashes, and two crookneck squash plants that are descendants of the plant that taught me everything I never knew I wanted to know about squash flower pollination last summer. There are two more pepper plants over there, too, so make that a total of 16. And last but not least, there are three baby rosemary plants. I am especially excited about the rosemary, since a) it's difficult to grow from seed and I've somehow managed to grow three, and b) I get another chance to try my hand at not killing it (which, if you've followed this blog for a while, you know is no easy task for me. My track record with rosemary isn't so great).I was thinking today that I really need to start more flower seeds. Somehow I've managed to fall behind on things already. I've been so focused on getting the edibles started. A little devotion to the flower garden is in order for the weekend.
12 Comments:
Hi Christa I saw that post about voting at best of the blogs and gave you the vote for best hobby blog.
Good Luck and thanks for stopping by my blog.
Most of us always sow too many seeds and then we have about a zillion seedlings. But you can always give them away to other gardeners or exchange them for seedlings of plants you don't have.
BTW your potato planting story made me laugh. I've planted potatoes for the first time this year too but I have a very good book about fruit and vegetable growing so I can look everything up before I do anything. It's a big help for a novice grower of things.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Mr. Brown Thumb,
Thanks for your vote!
Yolanda Elizabet,
I feel kind of embarrassed about my mishap with the potatoes, but I learned something from the experience. Now I look back and just laugh about what I did! Funny things new gardeners sometimes do. :-)
I also need to sow some more seeds this weekend! Since we are supposed to get some snow today, I don't feel as behind as I am!
How do you keep from stepping on the trays? We'd have kicked them over by now.
Growing rosemary from seed is impressive, Christa ~ maybe you can count it under 'flower seeds' as well as herbs? The flowers are tiny, but they still draw bees and butterflies :-)
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
just passing threw darling,come over 4 a visit
OK Christa, I flew out the door and finally got some grapes vine starts at the local nursery. I bought two Himrods and one Suffolk Red. They are in the ground, up against the fence and I can't wait to taste them! Thanks for the little nudge.
I'm curious to know what kind of flower seeds you will be planting... I can certainly identify with the over-abundance of seedlings, although mine are currently residing on a shelf under grow lights in the basement. My big, brown dog would step on them if I put them on the floor.
Carol: Sorry to hear snow is expected by you. I'll bet you're very ready for it to be WARM outside!
Annie in Austin: I have the flats set up against the wall by the TV. Fortunately they're set out of the way far enough so we're not always bumping into them.
I hope I can keep this rosemary growing long enough for it to get flowers. So far it's doing very well. I'm being very careful to not over water it.
Purple cucumbers folk art: Thanks for stopping by.
MA: Good luck with your grapes! Let me know how they do for you. I'm still not sure what variety I have. I have to check with Albertino, the guy that gave me the cutting.
Kate: I'm starting butterfly flowers and zinnias. I can sow zinnia seeds directly into the garden, but I've had problems with birds eating the seedlings when they come up, so now I start them inside. Same with sunflowers.
Thanks for visiting!
Does watermelon grow well in your area? I've started some watermelon as well as cantelpe, I'm not sure if they will actually fruit here (zone 7), but I thought I should try it anyway.
Heather
I have three windowsills stuffed full of seed trays and seedlings in peat pots.Plus plants, cactus, etc.Read my blog today for a list of whats growing.I will have too many plants for me but i will give some away, and some will go to a charity plant stall on the 4th June.I hope my plants will be ready for the showing by then!!
I love the way you are growing them on the living room floor.Where there is a will there is a way.Necessity is the mother of gardeners invention :)
Hope all your seedlings grow into healthy plants.Will you give some away to family or friends?
Heather,
I started our watermelon plants a little too late last year, but I did get one melon. It was a small melon - but it was extremely sweet and delicious. Good luck with growing yours!
Snappy,
I'll be giving some of these away to other members of our community garden. Yes, where there's a will, there's a way. My only way is to have my plants right here in the living room with us. They are cheerful to look at. :-)
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