From Seeds to Seedlings

The first day of spring has come and gone. I wouldn't know it from the cold temperatures outside. Brrr. However, inside my garden flat (basement apartment) the seeds I planted seem to think its spring. Everything is coming up beautifully, except for the green peppers.

Here are some comparison pictures of the Bush Beans and Snap Peas started on 3/12. Today I decided to give all the plants some nutrients that came with the indoor seed kits. I'm hoping they don't double in size. Without the plant food, as the pictures show, the plants sprang from seeds in record time.

Bush Beans - 3/17

Bush Beans - 3/22

Snap Peas - 3/17

Snap Peas - 3/22

Greenhouse experiment

When we bought our country home in Virginia, there was a greenhouse on site. This greenhouse is designed to lean against an existing building, such as a house or garage. Our first time stepping into the greenhouse was in November, I remember feeling like we had passed from winter into summer. Dreams of creating a tropical getaway sprang into my mind. Just imagine sitting on a lounge chair with an umbrella drink in hand on a snowy day. Yep, that's the life.

The greenhouse was set up as a gardeners workshop, with a work table loaded with plastic plant containers, dried up plants, tools, stakes, and plastic bottles of plant food or bug poison. Once this was removed, the fun began shoveling out one side of hard packed dirt. I think this project was done in '08, so I can't remember too many specifics.

The idea was to be able to warm up the greenhouse soil with water that was warmed by the sun in winter. An enclosed water system using garden hose was placed at the bottom of the bed. A pump placed inside a Rubber Maid garbage can would cycle the water. The system did work for awhile. Years later a hole developed in the garbage can, and I'm guessing a leak in the hose.

This year I plan to dig all the dirt back out and try a watering system similar to what I found at LifeHacker. I have had some success in the greenhouse. I've planted strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, beans, and peppers. Most of the plants came from home improvement stores, where the variety of vegetables isn't all that great. This time, I've been more selective and purchased seeds of the varieties I'm interested in. Lets see if that makes a difference.

I did take photos of the first time we overhauled the greenhouse. Enjoy!

Wannabe Gardener

Yes, I'm a Wannabe Gardener. I fill my head with marvelous ideas for planting a garden by browsing seed catalogs, buying gardening books, and searching the web for gardening ideas. Several years back, I tried my hand at a kitchen garden and a greenhouse. I've managed to grow some vegetables, such as tomatoes, beans, lettuce, potatoes, and peppers. However, it's not as successful as it may sound. For all my efforts, it was not a high yielding garden.

I plan on trying again. I've already started seedlings indoors. The pole and bush bean sprouts are just pushing out from the dirt, and the tomatoes are barely visible. Today I started the squash, cucumbers, radishes, and green peppers.

This year, it's my goal to keep a written record of what I try and how well it works. Wish me luck!