Seedy Saturday - I'm Seeing Green!

This past week started out pretty rainy (and chilly).

Out my back windows, I watched the creek behind me overflow after about 2 hours of rain. 

Couple of things to note. One, the bottom of the creek is actually about 4 feet down from the top of the channel. Two, this is also part of a 'run-off' creek. And three, I'm on a slope. So if it ever even gets close to my house, then we all have bigger problems than my house being flooded.

Anyway...

The weekend of January 6 and 7, I started my seed sowing. I decided to just 'double up' and start my seeds which, one,  have really super long germination and/or need some cold stratification before germination, and two, need to be start both 10 and 12 weeks in advance. And by the end of the weekend I had a 'spaceship' of trays of sown seeds.

Actually, it took me until later in the week to go to the store and get a spurge protector so I could set up the long shop lights up the side of the mini-greenhouse and wrap it in foil to reflect the light back onto the plants. 

In the past, I know, part of my seedling issues have been not enough light. So I have dropped the lights which are running horizontal to the trays to be about 2 inches from the top of the trays. I'll raise them as the plants grow. And the shop lights are throwing a lot of light across the trays. 

After I sowed the seeds and made notes on what I sowed, along with what I put in the fridge to stratify and when I needed to remove them to sown, I broke down my list into when the plants are supposed to germinate. (It was a bit overwhelming to see the 88 varieties of seeds I have started!) 

There is a box behind me as I write this post which has the seeds which I will be starting in a couple of weeks which are my 6-8 week germination batch. At it's even larger! Mainly because it does hold my tomato and other veggie seeds, like some melons and squashes. I may have a bit of problem. 

Anyway...

I feel I am typical of most gardeners who start plants from seeds, in that the minute I sow the seeds and have them where they are going to start growing, I immediately start looking at the trays and wonder why they haven't sprouted yet. Yes, it gets to be an obsession. Especially since the mini-greenhouse is in my kitchen and on the way to the bathroom, they get checked on numerous times during the day. 

Then 5 days after I sowed seeds, I was delighted to see this...

These are some of my dahlia seeds I have sown this year. I have come to love dahlias, much to my dismay. I plan on expanding a flower bed in the front year to add more flowers, as well as, using some of my back garden to grow flowers for cutting. I am especially interested in the one labeled 'LG Dahlia' as they are seeds from Laughing Goat Dahlias. Growing dahlias from seeds, I have found out, is 'interesting'. Dahlia seeds will cross like crazy apparently. So if you save seeds from dahlias, who knows what you will come out with. I am also waiting for my seeds from Swan Island Dahlias. 

I also have a lot of 'interesting' seeds started for things you can't find easily at any nursery - both flowers and herbs. Anise, Angelica, various mints, etc. are all on my to-grow list this year. This also means my herb garden will be expanding this year too. 

But it is all so exciting, at least to me it is. 

These trays will be moved 'out' onto a table where I will set up lights over when I sow the next batch of seeds. I do 'multi-sow' in the trays. Once the seedlings get up where there are 1-2 sets of true leaves, I will move them into individual trays. And I will gradually transition them to my porch greenhouse. I do have a light set up in it so the temperature stays above freezing (in the 40's I think it has stayed at night). I may set up a heater in there when I start moving babies into it just to be on the safe side. 

Winter sowing will be taking place in milk cartons too. I will be sowing some lettuces, kale and spinach this weekend in the milk cartons. I also want to experiment and direct sow in the garden and use the windows I have as a 'mini-greenhouse' over them. I will also be picking up some seed potatoes in the next week or two, along with some potting soil, to start some potatoes soon in the grow bags I got from someone this past summer who was moving. I have 3-4 large bags which I want to use for them. 

So...

Gardening isn't just a few months during the summer. For a lot of us, it is a year-long activity. And watching my 'green-babies' grow is such a delight for me. 

What are you growing?