I planted seeds indoors this past weekend. I brought up my shelf from the basement and positioned it in front of the south facing patio door. This is where all my indoor seeds grow until they get big enough for individual pots. Then they go into the cold frame. The tender bulbs get planted in the other cold frame. I have that still to do but want to get it done this coming weekend.
I like to reuse, reduce and recycle so I use plastic food containers for seeds. They work well if you cut holes in the bottom and put another food container underneath to catch the drip. (We eat a lot of mushrooms!)
Already the 'Love Lies Bleeding' amaranth is up! (see top picture) Wow! That was fast! I also grow 'Intense Purple' amaranth and love them but I don't have to plant those. They self seed all over every year. I might plant a few, just in case...
I am cutting back a lot on what I grow this year. I have just about planted every early thing that I intend to, mostly tomatoes and flowers. The tomatoes I planted this year are, for the most part, heirloom tomatoes with the exception of 'Manitoba' and 'Buckley's 51 day' tomatoes. These are the varieties I have planted: San Marzano, our own Portugal (of course), Black Krim, Terhune, Prince Borgese, Vincent Watts, Livingston Perfection, Rev Morrow Long Keeper, Giant Belgium, Aunt Lou's Underground Railroad, Chocolate Cherry, Azorian Red, Jaune Flammee, Matt's Wild Cherry, German Cascade, Ailsa Craig, Manitoba and Buckley's 51 day. I don't plan to plant peppers this year at all. I still have many bags of them chopped in the freezer from last year.
One more thing I do want to plant are 'Collective Farm Woman Melon'. I have to plant something with a name like that! It's just too interesting!
I have one planted container on my shelf with no label. :-( I'm going to have to think about what that might be! lol! I might recognize it when it comes up, maybe.
I planted a few castor beans for the flowerbed, the 'love lies bleeding' amaranth mentioned above, and some broken coloured four o'clocks. I have some special honeysuckle vines coming up in a cold frame, as well.
I am going to enjoy my gardening this year, without the pressure of previous years when I grew way more than I needed and spent way too much time in the garden!
7 comments:
I've spent the past two days getting my garden cleaned up and ready for planting. I haven't started any seeds set.. I have adopted 3 cats this year and now I can't find a safe place that is warm enough to start seeds. I have to get very creative with this :0)
There is always a such fine between growing too much and not enough! And I am always worried with the 'what if' part of gardening.
My garden will be far smaller this year due to our circumstances. It's all good, though...what I can't grow myself, I can get at roadside stands or the local farmers markets.
Still itching to get out there and plant something...anything!
I do luv growing things.
You've been buzy.
i'm cutting back this year too, eliminating what fails (quite a few things unfortunately) and sticking with the basics. Tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, winter squash. Also since most of my fruit and berry plants are well underway i don't have that urgency to fill my space so much anymore. Things are kind of settling down for me.
I have two cats too. lol! I know the problem with finding safe warm locations. When the sun shines in the door, the cats lay on the shelves, sometimes on top of the seed trays!
I have put screens around the shelf unit in the past to keep them off. I may have room for the cats and the trays this year.
My berries have spread out and I started a new vineyard, so my vegetable space is also at a minimum.
I came over to look for info on the Goji seed I got from you last year & to report that I have a fantastic potted Goji bush growing from those!
I left the small plants in a big pot outside & was surprised that come spring they all flowered out & are thriving.
I can't remember what other seeds came from you, but I had a few left & just started some Impatiens & Calendula.
While here, I got checking out this years seeds & ordered a few more....
thank you!
Michelle in NY
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