Seedy Saturday

Normally this post would be about what I'm reading. However, while I am still reading (always), seeds and springtime have been occupying my interests.

It has been one week since I sowed the first seeds for transplanting once the warmer weather (and sunshine) appear. Frankly, after a whole week of grey, drizzly days with zero sunshine have been taking their toll on me mentally. Watching my little seeds appearing has helped keep me sane.

A week later this is what has 'appeared' on my seedling shelves:

#1 tray - this one was planted almost entirely in hollyhocks. There are a couple up, but since it normally takes 10-14 days to germinate, I'm not too concerned.

#2 tray - Mesculn, Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, Lemon Cucumber, some lavender, catnip (just showing), zinnia, calendula

#3 tray - Tomatoes - Oregon Spring, Black Krim, Red Brandywine & Sweet 100, Lemon Basil, Broccoli, Morning Glory, Dill, Jack o'Lantern pumpkin, basil

#4 tray - (Planted 20 February) zinnia

In other containers - basil, mint, cherry tomato, lettuce

And this morning, I popped in the last (hahaha) of my seeds, mainly tomatoes, Lemon Balm, Lipstick Pepper (a freebie) and echinacea. 

I am expecting some seeds from an exchange, another pepper, but a hot one.

I also learned this week...

If you don't chop off your amaryllis stems after the flowers die, there is a chance you get these.  Seed pods!

So now they are sitting there, the leaves finally emerging and I'm letting these pods ripen. And I'm watching YouTube videos on amaryllis growing and how to deal with the seeds. So maybe, about 3 or 4 years from now, if I'm successful, I'll have a whole bunch of red amaryllis bulbs. Not exactly a rapid process!

I turned the three glass containers the amaryllis were growing into an herb garden.

The oregano and thyme are coming up. Chives are in the center and are still thinking about it. But I will definitely be thinning these out and some of them will go into outdoor containers and some will go into containers and going to Savvy's house.

Herbs growing so far are - Oregano, thyme, chives, dill, basils, mint, lavender. And I want to add sage, lemon balm, maybe a couple of other types of basil - who knows.

I also 'haunt' the clearance shelves at Lowe's. I have picked up some house plants really cheap so far. I also picked up a basil/mint 'kit' - two jars, medium, and seeds. And a cherry tomato, self-watering 'kit'.

I'll remove all but 1 of the cherry tomatoes in here once they get a couple of true leaves on them.

And...

A mushroom kit!

I have been wanting to try growing mushrooms for years now, but never wanted to spend the $20-$30 for a kit. However, along with the herb and tomato kits I got for $3 off the clearance rack at Lowe's, was this mushroom kit for $3. 

I must admit when they first started growing I was a little scared of it. But now that the mushrooms are more defined and not this grey mass, I am looking forward to my harvest.  From Back to Roots, these are pearl oyster mushrooms and will be harvested when they are 1-2 inches across the top.

All the kits I have are from Back to Roots and have been performing nicely so far.

And in paper coffee cups I planted the extra hyacinth bean and nasturtium seeds.  The hyacinth beans are just starting to emerge.

While I do have poles on the front porch I can use, they are really shady for most of the day. A couple of these might find their way into Savvy's yard.

But I did make a splurge on Friday.

My neighbor across the street who watches Lady K at times, is a plant person too. And we were discussing plants and she remarked on the pitcher plant Oakdale Greenhouses carries sometimes. She really wanted one, but couldn't talk herself into buying one (They are definitely not on the $3 clearance rack!) Texter and I had looked and fondled them in the past too.

Low and behold on the Facebook page for Oakdale Greenhouses, there was a post about getting in a shipment of them! Only about a dozen. And I know they go fast.

Friday morning I jumped in the car and headed over to the greenhouses and picked up two - one for me and one for her. Miss J doesn't take any money for watching Lady K, so this was a thank you for all her help.

I was going to call mine 'Polly Pitcher', but it looks more male to me than female! So I think it will be 'Paul Pitcher'. I can't wait. Hopefully, it will start vining nicely and I can take a cutting or two and give it to Texter.

In the meantime, while waiting for the rain to leave and more seeds to emerge (and figuring out what containers I am going to plant everything in), I have been reading Jacqueline Carey. I had read her Kushiel's Legacy books, but not her more 'modern' books. I really enjoyed her 'Agent of Hel' trilogy.