Just Sow

I wasn't very organized about starting seeds this year. I usually commandeer the guest bathroom as a makeshift grow house, but that's tough when you have houseguests during that time, so I put it off until after Josh and Kyle were here. 

By then, it seemed a little late to start a full-fledged growing operation, so I tried a few small-scale, experimental projects. One involved sprouting pepper seeds on a paper towel in a ziplock bag. I kept it on the warming pad at night and placed it on a sunny windowsill during the day. 

Another technique was to sprout a handful of pumpkin seeds in a takeout container. I kept the lid on it on the warming pad until green shoots poked up, and then they were off to the windowsill, too. Not too long after, it was late enough in the spring to put them in a sheltered spot on the deck covered by a shallow plastic bin that functioned as a wee greenhouse. 

That was the extent of my early planting, but both the peppers and the pumpkins are thriving, the squash is in the garden already, and I have 15 small pepper plants growing in individual pots on the deck. In fact, the success of both projects encouraged me to start some beans in a glass jar like we used to do for science experiments in elementary school, and to plant some more squash and some sunflowers too. 

In addition, this weekend I sowed some lemon grass and planted a few hanging pots with basil, mint, and cilantro. All in all? I'm pleased with my planting progress. Every year is different, and honestly, anything that grows is a gift.