Special Thanks...

...to Renee's Garden for the most wonderful seeds!


I'm so excited! Stay tuned to see how they do for me. While I was allowed to choose just want I wanted (isn't that great!), I tried to be realistic given my space and, let's face it, energy limitations.

If you look closely, you'll see I picked three varieties of tomatoes, including my most favorite cherry tomato Sungold...several varieties of lettuce (I do love growing lettuce!), a couple varieties of basil (who doesn't grow basil), those adorable looking colored carrots...and some flowers like sunflowers, nasturtiums, zinnias, calendula and some double poppies.

The poppies have been sprinkled out, hoping to catch some of the cold that's still around. My experience has been that they tend to prefer a little cold and sprout in early spring (like larkspur). However, I've never grown double ones before but have lusted after them after having seen a few in other gardens.

We're expecting rain today and tomorrow (so far there's none but it's a bit too cold to comfortably work outside, unfortunately). My plan is to put out some compost on Friday in the area where I plan to sow the lettuce...and then get some of these cool varieties started. Yippee!

Peas are traditionally started around St. Patrick's Day (which is next week) and I'll be starting mine. I had some leftover from last year and plan to use those.

Let me take a moment to plug Renee's Garden's website as it is one of the nicest around. I spent quite a bit of time there choosing my seeds and was fascinated with all the information. You can click on easy links to see the seed packets themselves, front and back, which are loaded with information....however, what I really loved were the photos....you can see what everything looks like, really looks like. It's great.

Thanks again to Renee's Garden for the seeds.

Seeds

Usually by now, green sprouts are popping up and I am eagerly and excitedly watching them. Usually. This year, I'm a bit behind...


The daylily seeds still sit in their baggies awaiting my attention. I suspect this is partly because I had so many seedlings last year that I still haven't found places for them...It may be that a natural selection of sorts is occurring with me and the seeds/seedlings.

You hear in daylily circles that one must have goals for hybridizing, one must choose a direction or two to focus on, etc. I certainly heard all those things. However, I somehow thought it wouldn't apply to me...even though I have far less land to plant in than most of those giving the advice. Hmph.

However, with boxes of seedlings sitting out front (hopefully to freeze the rust out of them...and not freeze the seedlings...a delicate balance), boxes of seedlings still in the garage (and still harboring rust), and seedlings...unbelievably...still under lights inside from last year (I do have plans for them)....I sense a certain lack of enthusiasm for starting new seeds.

That is, until I actually start looking at the seeds and get excited about the possibilities. Which brings me full circle. There are so many seeds in those baggies...I even sorted them into sub-sections...like spiders/ufos and full forms....each of those contain enough seeds to overwhelm me...let alone both. Ha. What to focus on? How to choose? I want it all....and the land and helpers to take care of it all. Double ha.

At the current time, I have two shelves available for seedlings (not my usual three). A finite space. Decisions, decisions. Which reminds me, I think the promix in the garage is down to the bottom of the bag. Okay, I can put the decision(s) off for a bit...because of the need for promix and the further need to empty the back of the truck of the bags of planting mix, etc. that are still in there...before I can get the promix...

Update: Did I tell you (I think not) that the motor home sized pile of mulch is gone?? Yes, I actually did move/use part of it...but the rest was just sitting there in a mini-mountain. Along comes a driveway re-surfacer who shrewdly agrees to remove said mulch to resurface the driveway. Hooray! Well, mini-hooray as now I am having difficulty tracking down said driveway re-surfacer to come and fix the crack that has popped out in his work.....

It's That Time Again....

....for starting daylily seeds! I've just begun to start some of the 145 crosses (plus some left from last year) that are listed on my spreadsheet. Some are my own, some are ones I've bought. This year, though, I have had a few things occur that I haven't previously...or nearly as much....and thought it a perfect opportunity to play with the macro lens.

For the first time in four years, I have found seeds sprouting in the refrigerator:


The good news is that I found them...and those with green showing will probably be okay. Those that are turning brown...well, we'll cross our fingers for them. All are planted.

Bad news is when you find this:


Two of the three seeds in this cross are moldy...right in the baggie. The third one got planted but it was a bit more squishy than I feel comfortable with....more fingers crossed.

The seeds below might look okay, but they are all rotten. Nothing inside...very disappointing...


Surprisingly, I seldom have a problem with moldy or rotten seeds. This year, I ventured out to try a variety of sellers...and well, let's say some were more successful than others. Actually though, I have a less than 10% rotten-moldy-bad rate, so that's pretty good.

I think it has do with how the seeds are handled...and everyone does it differently. Since I have so many of my own (daylilies), I'll probably be buying less and less (seeds, that is) as the years go by. Of course, I say that each year....even though I own so many (some 750...which I am planning to reduce...as always), I simply can't come close to having all I want! Lol! So, I buy seeds to have a chance to use those genetics.

Nothing beats going out to see brand new flowers blooming...flowers that no one (because they are genetically unique) has seen before...what a thrill! Of course, some are more...thrilling...than others (ha).

I think of those future surprises (at least two years away...but, hey, once you get going, there are new ones every year!)...as I begin planting these seeds:


Well, I can see (and you can, too) that I have much to learn about this lens. It's a Canon EF 100mm macro....I'll keep practicing...