The Beginning of the Garden

 This time of year always excites me as much as a kid on Christmas morning. February is seed starting time here in Ohio. 

While there are many different ways to start seeds, one of my favorite ways to start indoors, is seed trays and grow lights. 

Every weekend in February, we have a list of seeds that get started that weekend. I'm not great at following a list always, because I get so excited. Once I get started it's hard to stop. I just keep sowing seeds and dreaming of when the garden will be full and beautiful.

(Photo by Amy Jensen)

Pictured above you will see the seed starting set up we have. Now, we actually have more than one shelf, but this is all we have started so far. I will try to update as we start more.

So far we have started broccoli, onions, parsley, rosemary, bell peppers, various tomatoes and flowers. We have a lot more to start. We recently ordered hoops and plastic, so I will be starting lettuce, arugula and snap peas, and spinach directly into the garden. I might start some snap peas inside and move them outside, or place them in our small greenhouse until they sprout. The squirrels and birds usually dig up and eat the peas otherwise. 

What are you growing this year?

What is your favorite way to start seeds? 

Are you planting in ground, raised beds, pots and hanging baskets? 

We have 5 raised beds right now. We do 5 gallon buckets and big 12 inch pots as well as some in ground, especially for flowers.

I'm so excited to see what this garden year will bring. 

Until next time, be blessed. 

Let's Get Ready to Garden!!!

 Who's ready for the 2024 gardening season?

 This post contains affiliate links which we can earn a compensation on when you click the link.

 I know I am. I am so ready for some dirt therapy. I'm tired of the cold gloom and doom that January and February have become. I feel like I don't notice the lack of the garden as much in late fall and early winter. I'm usually canning up, or preserving something to keep me busy. Then the holidays come around and keep me busy. After the New Year, I'm ready to hit the ground running. I'm hoping to plant more in the garden each year, than the previous year. 

When it comes to gardening, there is so much planning involved. What to plant, when to plant, start indoors or direct sow, when to transplant, when to harvest? Let Seed Time help you.

 

 

This year I am partnering with Seed Time as an affiliate. With Seed Time, you can create your own gardening calendar. You add the crops and they tell you when to start your seeds, or direct sow, when to transplant, harvest, etc.... If you want to create your free account online and plan your garden the easy way, you can use my affiliate link  HERE .  You can upgrade to their PRO plan for a fee.

So, this years garden will include the following.... (and maybe more) 

Arugula, Basil, Broccoli, Calendula, Carrots, Cucumbers, Green beans bush and pole, Lettuce, Marigolds, Onions, Parsley, Snap Peas, Peppers (Bell and Cayenne)  Spinach, Sweet Pea Flowers, Tomatoes, Watermelons, Zinnias. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. In fact I know I am, but I cannot think of what it might be at the moment. So, stay tuned for updates. My plan is to be better about posting updates this year, but we will see how life goes. 

What are you planting this year? How many years have you been gardening? What is your favorite thing to grow? I would have to say my favorite things to grow are Calendula, and Tomatoes. Hands down!

Hello There!

Welcome to my blog. I'd like to think that I was sitting down and chatting with a friend, even if it is only virtually. So grab your favorite cup of coffee, tea, water, or soda and sit down, relax and let's have a chat. 

I never thought of myself as a gardener. Of course, I always loved the idea but unfortunately for me, I'd kill just about any plant that I brought home. To me the garden was a waste of money and just plain dirty. Don't hate me, I've come a LONG way since then. I remember my first garden. I bought cucumbers and tomatoes and tilled the ground until my entire body hurt. I threw the seeds in the soil, not knowing a thing about gardening or companion planting. I ended up killing the tomatoes because I planted them too close to the cucumbers. I think I planted like 4 packets of cucumbers all at once. Ha! The joke was on me. We couldn't give all the cucumbers away. 

In planting that first garden, something in me began to get curious. I wondered if I could plant more? I didn't have the space for it where we lived at the time and I'd heard about this neat Topsy-Turvy planter that tomatoes could grow on your balcony. I also read that some people had luck with growing cucumbers in them, so I gave it a shot. What harm right? Well.... WRONG! I failed, but decided I would grow flowers instead. I went to the store and brought home huge hanging baskets of flowers. In 3 short days they were fried. We had gotten a lot of rain and sunshine, I didn't think anything of it. I couldn't figure out why I was killing every plant I tried to grow. I must not be a good gardener. I guess it's not for everyone. Or dare I say I had a "black thumb". It certainly wasn't green. Nothing I tried to grow lived except those cucumbers. Maybe it was beginners luck. Who knows?

When we bought our house we currently live in, I tried several gardens. We have clay soil and I made many mistakes like planting too close to a tree, not knowing that the tree would soak up all of the nutrients. We also found out that year that we have several ground hogs and rabbits that visit our yard, along with the random deer family from time to time. NOTHING survived! I was done..... until 2020 happened. For the first time in my life, I went to the store and the shelves were bare. I was shocked, scared even. I mean, we have 3 boys who can eat like grown men at times. We needed to be able to put food on the table for them. That's when I started digging in and doing research. I'm NOT perfect by any means, and I still have a LOT of learning to do. I still make mistakes each and every day, (Just ask my husband about a few days ago when I forgot to lay down the weed barrier before planting flowers OOPS!). 

I am happy to say that last year, our garden, although small but mighty, was a success. I was able to bring in healthy foods to help supplement our families grocery bill. I am hoping to be able to do the same this year. My hope is that each year, I will grow in knowledge, as my garden grows in size. I hope you will join me in this journey, and learn alongside me. Teach me what you know as well. I'm here to glean all that I can, as well as, help others learn what I have learned the hard way, so you don't make the same mistakes I have.

until next time,

be blessed!