We are busy planting and growing seeds for the upcoming spring!
My helpers were unsupervised for 2 seconds! Not sure how they got the soil out of the trays so fast!
These are our "White Wedding" zinnias growing under the play table in our family room. J found the shop light for me at Menards for a grand total of 20 dollars. I fastened it to the table with 3m command hooks...sure beats spending over 100 bucks on a pre-made stand from the seed catalog. Though, we did get a suspicious look from a neighbor who popped by! Ha! Gotta laugh in life!
A big thank you to Tammy at Casa Mariposa for her post about sowing seeds outside in plastic containers. It is just what this budget gardening mama needed!!
We have Morning Glories and peas out here so far, but with this method I have much more space, so i plan on picking up some more seeds this weekend.
Here is what Kevin Lee Jacobs has to say...
"These natural actions loosen the seed-coatings. This is why advance soaking or nicking of hard-shelled seeds, such as Morning Glories and Sweet Peas, is not necessary when you winter-sow."
Cheers to our first sprout of the season. May your weekend be full of all things lovely!
Over here today...
You will be the talk of the neighbourhood, "growing" using lamps! You will have lots of people popping into borrow a cup of milk ha ha! What a good mum to let your beans help with the seeds, all over your gorgeous table!!! xo
ReplyDeleteIt's great to have a couple of enthusiastic helpers when it comes to gardening :) Love the little sprout in the last pic ... very hopeful and inspiring! Wendy
ReplyDeleteOh what a happy little green budding plant, and oh my they did get that soil out of those trays didn't they! ;) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteSo great to see the first little seedling popping thru! I bet your little ones are thrilled to be "helping".
ReplyDeletesuper yay!! I'm doing the exact same thing here today... wonderful little helpers you have ;-) Our garden club has a children's group called 'The Sprouts' where kids are real members & participate in all sorts of fun - It's the best!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh I need to be doing this, especially since our temps have been below normal for this time of year. I love the sweet little bud already popping up!
ReplyDeleteI was going to say if you were going to order the cute little hot water bottle cover (sweaters) that my particular one isn't on their site but you could email them and tell them you want one with just the two colors as "Sandy from South Carolina" has and say the one who has been ordering these from them. (just a thought)
Have a great and warm week-end!!
I sure will!!! What awesome women to support!! Thank you for the great link!!!
DeleteLooks like fun :-) Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteSarah xo
Awe ;) this is lovely! You're inspiring me to start my seeds too! I might be borrowing the jug-outside idea ;) and I love you're dining room table- so pretty, even soil covered!
ReplyDeletexoxo- K
Probably not funny at the time but too cute with the dirt on the table lol!
ReplyDeleteI know!!!
DeleteOkay, you have a lot more patience with your kiddos than I do. I think I'd cry if all that dirt spilled in my house. I love gardening with my kids but I definitely keep it an outdoor affair!
ReplyDeleteIt must be the art teacher in me that has made me slightly numb to the mess!
DeleteFun! I'm thinking I need to start seeds this weekend. Historically, I'm a pretty crappy gardener, but I'm hoping this is the year when I turn things around and grow something besides a million green beans.
ReplyDeleteYour dirt mess is too funny! Gave me a good chuckle. Bet you weren't laughing though. I just bought a flat of pansies today. After posting about them last week, I just couldn't resist the first chance I could to get them. The greenhouse said they were pretty hardened off already and online I read that you should pick ones that have barely started to flower yet. I put them in the garage for tonight, but tomorrow they'll go out to my unheated greenhouse to spend the day. They said that should be great for them and they could go outside by St. Patrick's Day. I'm so excited. Bought some seeds today too and I'm itching to plant them. I think I'll try your outside method for the kale and snow peas and they should be ready to go in the ground after a few weeks. My daughter and I are trying to eat much healthier and I just got a book from the library on gardening all year round - a major undertaking, but a great way to have organic fresh produce without the high cost.
ReplyDeleteCindy
Very interesting...have you heard of the year round veggie gardener blog? She has some great information about different methods. Let me know how your efforts progress. My brother grows some of his greens under mini tent cold frames. Good luck with the pansies..I know they sure are beautiful! What I would do for a greenhouse!!!
DeleteHAHAHAHAHAHA - LOVE the dirt picture! Laughing about the first comment on the light, too...you'd probably be the hit of the neighborhood, back in my hometown of Denver, now! Happy weekend, Nicole - ROCK ON!
ReplyDeleteHa! I hear you!! It was so funny just to see the expression on his face! You have a good one friend!
Deleteof course they made a dirt mess! ;)
ReplyDeleteHrm, I wonder if hubs could start planting now. He had a back porch potted garden last year.
oh and my reading thing started in Jan http://ziggyeor.blogspot.com/2013/01/winter-reads.html I thought my library wasn't doing their Winter Reads because it usually started in Jan. They did start there's but I've still got mine going until next Wednesday. The goal was to read 6 books in the time frame and I'm giving away a book mark. I'll probably keep posting every Wednesday and do another Read-a-Thon.
That's funny about the neighbors' suspicions. Maybe next time they come over you should play some Grateful Dead. Also love the picture of the kids with the dirt spread out all over the table.
ReplyDeletewinter plantings...hmmm...I have to try this! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I love how creative you were with your grow light. :o) Ya gotta love cheap + effective!
ReplyDeleteSo exciting! Many moons ago, I had a grow table set up (aka, an old dining room table in a basement) with shop lights hooked to chain that I gradually lifted higher as the seedlings grew. I just don't have the space anymore. Maybe one of these days I'll get the nightmare of a garage cleaned out so I can do it again. It's SO exciting to see that first little seedling peek through the soil. I'm a wee bit jealous.
ReplyDeleteI hope your seedlings sprout and bring green to your blanket of white. It was 80 degrees today and I hope to work in the garden much of the weekend.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, amazing the mess you can make in 2 seconds.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet to get your little ones involved! :)
ReplyDeleteSusan
Yay you little legend! You are such a lovely thing, look at the magic you create! xx
ReplyDeletewww.mindfullygreen.com.au
Your little kiddos are super cute! And helpful! :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what those plants look like in full bloom!
Love it, and I love how the kids are little helpers! I'm inspired to get started with my own seedlings this year. Last year I bought all my plants and it is just not the same thing as growing from seed!
ReplyDeleteI am laughing about the kiddos spreading soil all over the table. It reminds me of the time my dog ripped open a full (large) bag of potting soil while I was in the shower and proceded to shake it out all over the house. I honestly don't think my house has ever been the same! ;)
ReplyDeletelove your photos! I also have lots of help in my planting! lol
ReplyDeleteIt Has been a delight to visit you! I am aching for spring to finally come so I can see something other than white snow in my gardens!
Thanks for linking in again this week..I am sharing it to my tootsie time facebook page too!
hugs from Alberta Canada!
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
You're a good momma. :)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing how your seeds do! I was advised to hold off another week before going crazy in the yard... Boo.