I started the first of my seeds inside. Just my cherry tomatoes and four varieties of peppers, but it is the official start to the 2012 gardening season up here near the tundra.A week or so ago panic almost took over when I was trying to figure out where to set up the lights and put my started seeds this year. In the past I've always done it in front of the large south-facing windows in the room that is in the process of finally becoming our living room. We would set up a large table, cover it with tarps, hang lights on chains from the unfinished rafters above and I had a good space for my seedlings to grow in. Obviously, this year that is no longer an option.
Papa Pea and I walked through the house for quite a while trying to find a (warm) spot that could be used as my seed starting area this year.
We narrowed our choice down to the heated part of the garage and my dear hubby graciously offered to clear off a small work bench top and let me use that for the next month and a half.He built a wood frame to hold the lights over the seedlings so now I am officially in business. (Hopefully, more impressive photos will come in the near future!)
It's inevitable that I will run out of room once all the seedlings are started and grow big enough to need repotting in larger containers. The space I've had to work with in the past was probably at least three times as big as the top of this work bench . . . and it was totally full before the plants could be set outside in the garden.
But we'll come up with something by the time I need that much more space. For now I'm just pickled tink to finally be starting some seeds.
19 comments:
Just remember-I'm living vicariously through your garden this year so keep us posted with all the progress.
I'm just gonna DIE this year, ya know? No garden????????????????????????????????????
Yay! Mama Pea has started spring! If you can start things going up in the tundra, the rest of us better get some hustle in our bustler! It is always so wonderful to see the little green seedlings. Oh - Sue!! Say it ain't so!
And we thought you were just lazy and didn't want to bother starting seeds! (HA!)
Oh how exciting! Can't wait to see all those seedlings popping up.
Hooray for you! We're just complete in the spring without green growing things, aren't we. And isn't Papa Pea a clever guy to put together a light rack so quickly. I hope your garden grows better than ever this year, to make up for missing last year.
Sue - It's not that you're not going to have a garden this year but rather that your garden isn't going to have a gardener! But I well know what you mean . . . what's a summer if you can't spend most every day playing in the dirt??!
Susan - A pathetic little start, I have to say, but a start none the less! Feels good.
CR - You've got the lazy part right! It's funny that I like to start seeds indoors but I don't like to plant the little buggers outside. I'm always sure the environment out there is too harsh and they'll get stuck under a piece of gravel or some such!
Sparkless - I was out there checking the moisture today and hubby asked if anything was up yet. Big fat HA!
Trailshome - In a weird way I feel like I'm just a beginner again because of having missed last year. And, boy, am I eager to see stuff growing out there!
Your seed starting set up is an inspiration. Maybe next year, when the kitchen isn't spread out all over the house.
Oh, Leigh, you have such a year-round (almost!) growing climate that you don't need to bother starting seeds inside!
You should be getting close to pulling your kitchen (your beautiful, new kitchen!) back together. You'll have to post "before" and "after" pictures because people won't believe the fantastic job you and your hubby have done.
I have broccoli cauliflower and kohlrabi up. seed potato are in, onions are in and are up and sweet corn is planted. beets and carrots are also in the ground. after the trip[ to MPS-SP the green beans will be in.saturday, also the watermelon cukes and squash will all be planted. would like to try something new but do not know what? ALl my shrubs roses died this winter all 25 if them. so will have to replace them with something. spring is here got the bug
give me a s ,give me a e, and another e,give me a d-oh heck,I never was cheer leader material but I gave it my best shot ,now baby those seedling and soon we will see the tundra come to life and be fruitful
Qwaynt - As yes, I keep forgetting you live in a climate where normal gardening is possible!
Are you sure your roses are truly dead? What could have happened to them during this mild winter?
judy - Waiting for the first sprouts to appear is always so nerve-wracking! Am I keeping them moist enough? Too much moisture? Should I have put more seeds in each little pod?
Love the light rack!!! We were too lazy to start seeds indoors this year.... no, wait... 'life' flew by way too fast and we lost our window of opportunity.... yes, that sounds better!! You're doing great and it's fun to read how excited you are about your garden this year. Can hardly wait to see your garden in 'action'. I really do love the light rack... I think I need to show Tom your picture.
Yay! So glad you are back in it this year! I'm so late catching up on your posts, I've been teaching the elementary kids this week so I've been busy but I am so glad to see your hands back in the dirt!
p.s. I have your Cranberry-Almond cake in the oven right now, smells so good!!
I thought of you yesterday when I found some ice cube sized terra cotta pots at an estate sale. So tiny I'm not sure why anyone bothered to make them!
Hurrah! NOW it is officially spring! I do hope you find a better mix of gardening and renovations that I was ever able to do!!
And so sweet of Papa Pea to give you some workbench room.
Judy
Lisa - What in the world does one do to have a "permanent" place to start seeds? A heated greenhouse? Yeah! That sounds good to me!
Erin - It feels wonderful to me, too, Erin, to be jumping with both feet into the garden this year. Hope I never have to skip a year again!
Shhhh, don't let Papa Pea know you have that cake baked. It's just about his favorite and I haven't made it in I-don't-know-how-long!
Jen - Maybe they were just for decoration??
Judy - Although I'm more eager than anyone else to have the remodeling DONE, I won't be above hiding in the garden this summer to avoid the mess in here!
DAD built that? NICE! I totally thought B built it!
Chicken Mama - He had it all built before I even saw it. It turned out totally different than the way we had talked about doing it, but you're right, it is super-doo and does the trick nicely!
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