terrycorum.com

The front jungle:

The back jungle:

Handy item to keep around:

http://awaytogarden.com/estimating-viability-how-long-do-seeds-last?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AWayToGarden+%28A+Way+to+Garden%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

A couple of weeks ago I started up a little indoor garden. I moved my office into the dining room for the winter in order to conserve heating and I hated that it is so dark in there all the time. There is a window, but with the plastic on it and the cats, I can’t put plants in the window! I do have a large entertainment center in my winter office that normally is just filled with “things”. So I cleaned out the big center area and stuck in some lights and now I have a plant area. I have one pink African Violet, one miniature yellow rose, one sad English Ivy, one sad lemon verbena, and one grass plant (for the cats). The light in the room really makes a big difference, it feels like sun shining into the room.

Yesterday I added some trays of pebbles and water to help with the humidty. The back of the entertainment center had been removed and I am thinking I want to do something with it. If I could find a large picture of woods or a garden or something, I would like to stick it back there for some depth.

Yesterday I did some winter sowing. I planted:
1. Sweet Pea, Ocean Foam – bought last year from Botannical Gardens and planted some in the garden direct but they did not do well.
2. Sunflower, Elves Blend – bought last year from Botannical Gardens but never planted.
3. Chamomile, German – bought last year from Botannical Gardens and planted some in the garden direct. They came up but didn’t do real well.
4. Morning Glory, Chocolate – Some left over I am not sure if I got them last year or the year before.
I have my seeds planted in milk jugs and sitting on the sunny side of the porch.

I tried some winter sowing last year but didn’t have a good place for the 2 jugs and they kept getting knocked over so I am giving it a second try. We will see how it goes.

I pretty much have an ugly garden.  I used to feel bad about it sometimes and go around madly trying to “clean” it up.  But after reading about some other ugly gardens, I have decided not to fight it.

There aren’t a lot of pictures on this site of my garden because my camera situation is almost non-existent.  Plus I was always trying to clean it up before I take a picture.  But you can look around, there are a few from previous years, and you will see, they are pretty ugly.  This year, the garden is occupying nearly the entire back yard, and it ain’t any prettier!  oh well.

I have been lax on updating my garden notes.  The book my Mom gave me and this blog.  Too busy is my excuse.

The peas and strawberries are flowering.   The lettuce and spinach are being eaten.  The tomato plants are mostly in the ground.  I put in some cucumber seedlings this morning and in the next couple of days the squashes should be ready to plant (my goodness they grow fast!).  The potatoes are growing like crazy and the beans are coming along.  The broccoli tends to wilt a lot.  I think the weather  may have turned too hot for it, I should try and figure out a shade arrangement for it.

I need to build some more tomato trellises before the plants get very big.

My new phone will not send email photos.  I don’t know how to fix that, I will have to ask Caitlin.

Lettuce, spinach and peas are finally starting to come up outside.  A few sweet peas sprouting.  The broccoli is coming along.

Very nice weather for a few days and I am stuck inside trying to figure out a website problem!  Why aren’t these support people helping me??  Maybe they are outside!  I need to plant the raspberry bushes.

Sugar Sweetie Cherry Tomato from Botanical Interests

The tomato seedlings are coming along well.  I transferred them to larger pots today.  I have 5 cherry tomatoes, and 8 Livingston.  The Beefsteak are not as big and I don’t have room for larger pots,  so I didn’t transfer them yet.  I need to put up another light shelf.  I will want to start some peppers soon.   I have 3 broccoli seeds that sprouted.

The peas I planted outside are not up yet, it has been too cold I  think.  I saw a few that had floated to the top of the dirt the other day so I pushed them back down.  The lettuce and spinach are not doing anything either, I have put up a plastic tunnel on them.  Before I got the sides situated Boo was already going in the tunnel, he thought it would be a good place to lay.

The sweet peas I winter sowed in a milk carton sprouted, just a few.  The lemon balm and milkweed – nothing.  The potatoes, nothing either.

I have started some lettuce and spinach inside and when they sprout I hope to put them outside in a plastic tunnel.  Or a coldframe if I can put one together with whatever is in the garage.

Never did get a camera situation, gotta work on that.

Snap Peas from Botanical Interests

Planted snap peas from Botanical Gardens,  (last years seeds) and shelling peas (from Freedom Seeds, ordered last year) on Saturday.  Covered them with milk carton greenhouses because it is going to be frosty the next few nights.  Also, I believe last year the birds and/or squirrels ate a lot of my pea seeds!  I pre-sprouted all the pea seeds since they are from last year and they all sprouted.

I covered the strawberry plants with a sheet the last few nights, and covered the lettuce and spinach seeds with plastic.

Hope I haven’t started planting things too early!

Inside Seeds:

Tomato seeds have sprouted.  I see one broccoli sprouted, maybe more.  A couple of sweet peas sprouted.

The garlic and onions look a little frosted, maybe I should have covered them up with something.

Today I planted the red and white potatoes from organic potatoes that had sprouted,  and spinach and lettuce from freedomseeds.org.