Friday, April 3, 2015

Here, Let Me Show You Some Pictures of Dirt

Beets on the left, carrots on the right.

Look here at this tub-o'-dirt. This thing is going to feed us. For like, at least a couple days. If all goes as planned.

Zucchini in the flower bed.

This dirt too.

Basil on the left, tomatoes on the right. Attempting to grow starts.

What's that? Not everyone keeps dirt in their guest bedroom? Well that's too bad. Because it's the only room we can reasonably keep Elliott out of, and she likes to destroy every project I try to do. Like remember how we're composting? We keep a container on the counter of scraps and we empty it into the big composter/can every few days. But she keeps eating scraps out of the counter container and then throwing them up, so we covered it with a rag and that didn't stop her. We covered it with a piece of cardboard and put a three-pound dumbbell on the top of it and THAT DIDN'T STOP HER. This cat is way smarter than we are, I'm pretty sure. Now we've got it wrapped in a plastic bag with the cardboard and the dumbbell on top. I fully expect her to figure out a way to get to it anyway.

Banana pepper on the left, tomato plant on the right.

All that to say, I planted my spring garden last weekend. This year, I am attempting to grow various things from seeds, including basil, sweet-100 tomatoes, beets, baby carrots and zucchini. I also have two starter plants of hot banana peppers and cherry tomatoes. I will be ridiculously happy if any of the seeds grow at all. I have very low expectations for my ability to grow things, but I figure I've got to learn somehow, so might as well start now.

(I originally wrote this post on Sunday night. Since then, my starter seeds in the guest bedroom looked like they were starting to grow a fuzzy white mold, but then last night I saw some teeny tiny green saplings sprouting up out of the basil pods! PLEASE STAY ALIVE, LITTLE BASILS.)

Are you planting a spring garden? What's in yours? What's your favorite spring/summer fruit/veggie?

13 comments

  1. Katie @ A Beautiful Little AdvApril 3, 2015 at 10:33 AM

    good luck to all your plants. I wouldn't be able to keep them alive. I just know it.

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  2. Most of the starter seeds have begun to sprout! I am so excited and so worried I'm going to accidentally kill them!

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  3. I have zero confidence in my ability to grow and/or keep alive any plant. I am hoping maybe having a house will be the magic trick? Last year's basil plant was a flop, so I hope yours fares better than mine!

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  4. Such a funny post, and congratulations on your baby plants! I have been lazy with gardening this year, with all of the rain and cold. I need to get outside and get to work!

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  5. Good luck with the plants! Audra and I just planted some basil and watermelon, but we are cheating since we are using the MiracleGro pods that are "guaranteed to grow."

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  6. Last year we totally just bought a basil plant at the farmer's market and called it a day. It lasted for several months in Texas, and only died when we got to Virginia. It got cold and the thing freaked out and shriveled up.

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  7. Now that everything is planted, I am thankful for the rain because it means I don't have to water anything! Haha.

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  8. Meh, I don't think anything is cheating when it comes to trying to make the ground give you stuff! That's cute that it's something you can do together!

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  9. Oh man! This reminds me... I really need to plant my herbs!

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  10. I'm just waiting to hear how the cat figures out a way to get into all of this AND the compost bin again.

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  11. i made my first attempt at growing plants last spring - a little flower of some sort, i think? it grew, and i was amazed (though it didn't live long). the whole idea that you can grow something and then actually eat it? even more amazing. gooood luck!

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  12. Thankfully she hasn't messed with the compost since, but she does try to escape every time I go out to the balcony to water everything!

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  13. Thanks! Considering that last year our "harvest" was two quarter-sized peppers and some basil, I'll be so excited if any of it actually grows!

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