Savor the Sowing!

Happy Birthday, my dear friend Faye!

Last week got a whole lot better
when I received my Sow True Seed order.
When those seeds show up on our doorstep,
it's like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one!
In fact,
someone from the company called me on Tuesday
about substituting a couple of things that they didn't have,
and I got the order on Wednesday!
This seed company treats you right,
and they are based in nearby Asheville.

Here's the spread.
There are a few things I can start right now
and a few things for a bit later.
I've always had great germination with their seeds,
and it makes me feel good
knowing they are open-pollinated, untreated
and GMO-free.

 This is the first time I'm growing beans for drying.
I use a lot of dried beans for vegetarian dishes,
so it makes sense to grow my own.
I'm looking forward to learning about a new crop.

 This Whipple variety was substituted for the October bean I ordered.
I can already picture it in some homemade chili!

 My farmer friend Lynn in Florida introduced me to Tatsoi,
which is a dark Asian green.
It grows compactly, so I'm thinking of using it as a border plant.
Scrumptious in salads or just for snacking,
it'll be a wonderful addition to the garden.

 Here's a new venture.
I've only grown onions with sets,
so it'll be interesting to see how these seeds grow.
We use onions almost daily,
so it sure would be nice to have our own stash.

 The cantaloupe and watermelon will be started in trays
and then transplanted.
Even though spring hasn't much showed Herself,
it's already time to plant some summer goodies!
I'm grateful that we have room on the property to let these roam.

One of my clients (and neighbors) had given me
this tray of peat pots.
I knew I wanted to use it for inside seed starting,
so I saved it for this occasion.

The tray comes with 36 peat pots already snuggled in their spots.
All that is needed is a little water and time to let it soak in.

The pots drink up the water and go from this

to this in a matter of minutes.
There is a fine mesh lining around the soil
to keep it in place as the plants grow.
Once the seeds germinate and get a bit of size to them,
the whole pot goes into the planting spot,
whether that is a container or a planting bed.

I'm pretty late on getting my tomatoes and peppers started.
But I'm getting a jump start on eggplant, cantaloupe and watermelon.
These will sit on top of the fridge until the weather decides to cooperate and get consistently warmer.
Then it can be placed outside in a spot that gets filtered light.

C'mon spring!

I'm not sure why it is so thrilling to get those seeds in the mail.
Maybe it's the idea that the packages represent 
a whole mess of possibilities.
So much potential wrapped up in one little pouch.
If you're a gardener, you know just what I'm talkin' about.
Savor the Sowing!