Grow seeds, grow!

As promised in my last post, I started my garden today. Here is a list of what I planted in a series of plug trays in the controlled environment of a greenhouse:

12 Sun Gold Tomatoes

12 Big Boy Tomatoes

12 Honeybunch Tomatoes

30 Sweet Peppers

8 Red Onion

7 White Onion

23 Genovese Basil

38 Sweet Basil

50 Sweet Marigold, Licorice

36 Catnip

Of course what actually germinates is what counts and I will visit the greenhouse weekly to watch and photograph the progress. I do feel the need to share some thoughts on this process. First, marigold seeds are more like tiny wood splinters than “seeds.” As I was trying to carefully pick two at a time out of the palm of my hand to place in each of 50 plugs, I started calculating in my head if buying flats would have been easier. One of the main reasons for starting one’s own seeds is variety – far more varieties of seeds are available for purchase than what can be purchased at the local nursery in the form of flats. I chose an heirloom variety of marigold that most likely is not available in any nursery.

Catnip seeds are also tiny and many come in one packet - I wasn’t concerned if three or four seeds dropped into each divot. I enjoy drying catnip and making toys for my three cats. I have a large old crock with a lid where I keep dried catnip along with toys and rotate them in and out to keep them enticing for the cats all year long. With quite a stockpile of thrift store cashmere sweaters, I also plan on making luxurious catnip toys – enough to sell locally.

I went a little crazy with the basil but I plan on using it in pesto, salads, Italian dishes, soups, and drying. It’s also a companion plant with tomatoes so the more, the merrier.

Over the next 60 days, I’ll be monitoring the seedlings, purchasing the necessary fertilizers, building the bottle gourd trellis, organizing my garden tools, researching mason bee houses, and resting up for the Memorial Day start to the full-swing gardening season.

I can hardly wait until the seeds sprout!