A start on spring

When I saw the tulips, I got inspired and decided to start sowing seeds.  Pete's mum has already started planting hers so I thought I should get started on it as well.  I have bought quite a number of seed packets, including new plants that we didn't plant last year.  After reading about some of the seeds, I discovered it's better to start indoors first so that the plants would get a head start and would be ready for harvest earlier.

The seed packets that we bought had instructions on the back.  Pete helped me translate them and so with that information plus whatever I have read about online, I got started.  The weekend before that, I already prepared my seed pots.  Instead of buying them, I read online that I could make my own seed pots using the inners of toilet rolls.  I have collected quite a few of those.  I also kept some from the kitchen rolls too. 

I cut the toilet rolls in half and quarters for the kitchen rolls.  Then I made four snips on the bottom of one end and folded them in to make a cute cup with a small hole in the middle.  The cups would hold the soil and the hole would help to drain excess water.  So simple and so cheap.  No extra cost, actually.  The best part is that when I want to transplant the seedlings, I can just plant the whole thing into the soil.  I won't have to take out the seedlings out of the pot and risk disturbing the delicate roots.  Also, the cardboard rolls would disintegrate into the soil.  Very environmental friendly.  And free.  Similar ones made of peat cost quite a lot in the stores.  These are free.

So, when I was ready to sow the seeds, I poured some soil into a bucket and added water.  The moist soil made it so much easier for me to spoon into the small pots.  Then I carefully placed a seed into each pot and labelled them.  This first time, I sowed some cabbage, savoy cabbage, broccoli and cucumber seeds.  The seeds, except for the cucumber seeds, are so tiny.  I had to use tweezers to put them into the pots.  Then I added a bit more water and left them on a tray in the balcony.

The next day was dull and sun-less.  The balcony wasn't getting any sun and it was cold there.  I moved the pots into the warm kitchen and switched on the kitchen light.  I placed them directly under the light and there they stayed for the next few grey days.  I only had to check the soil and water them whenever the soil seem day.  If they turn out well, I will be sowing more seeds using the free pots.  I have read that some people have a problem with them.  White mouldy stuff could form on the soil or the side of the pots.  I would have to be vigilant and look out for those.  Let's hope for the best.

From the garden to the kitchen

We don't go to the garden as often as we used to any more.  These days, it has been raining and grey and cloudy so the plants would have more than enough water.  Besides, we don't really want to go out in such dreary weather.  All I am worried about is always the weeds.  My fear is that the weeds would take over the garden and grow all over our veggies, herbs and flowers.

Yesterday, the sky cleared enough for us to brisk walk there to plant some Asters, a type of fower, that I had sown on my balcony.  When we got there, we were pleasantly surprised.  Finally the garden has shown some life.  A large part of it is due to the weeds but we were happy that our vegetables have done just as well. 

The lettuce beds are full of healthy, juicy leaves.  The potatoes have continued to grow.  The row of carrots have such long, healthy leaves growing above the ground.  The two surviving cucumber plants have even started flowering.  The squash plants have done very well, too.  Lots of yellow flowers are blooming and we found some beautiful, long squash growing from them. 

This week, we didn't buy a lot of vegetables and since the babies are doing so well, we decided to take some home.  We picked the biggest squash, pulled up a potato plant and some lettuce.  We also picked some baby carrots.  They could leave them to grow even more but we had to thin them anyway, so that the remaining carrots would have more room to grow.  So the baby carrots went into our bountiful basket.

With the vegetables, I decided to make a light summer salad with a quick, tangy dressing made with mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice.  Soft, boiled eggs rounded off our light lunch.



squash and baby carrots



hand-picked lettuce



chopped squash



a thorough wash and a couple of whirls in the salad spinner and the lettuce is ready



the almost ready salad



the dripping yolk and creamy dressing made the salad even better



We lost one

First sad news.  We lost one.  One of the cucumber seedlings did not make it.  It shrivelled and died.  But the rest of the plants look like they are doing well, growing taller and bigger.  More potato plants have grown so very soon, we'll bury them in soil again and hopefully there will be more potatoes down there.  The squash plants are also doing well.  New leaves are growing and the first two leaves of each plant are bigger now.  But there are no other activities in the other beds.  We got a lot of sun today.  Hopefully more to come soon and that the real summer weather is here to stay.

the biggest potato plant in the patch

new leaves on the squash plants

cucumber plants growing well

the dying plant

Garden talk

 I try to visit my garden every day if possible, if not to do work on it, I am happy to just go there and celebrate what has grown with a happy dance, or to encourage the rest to grow.  Yes, I talk to my plants.  Even if they can't hear me, the small talk makes me happy.

Yesterday, Pete and I took a walk and we stopped by our little patch.  More stuff are growing, including the weeds, unfortunately.  But we are happy with the growth of our plants.

We discovered more potato leaves budding.  The first one we discovered the day before has grown bigger.  Soon, when the plants are a bit taller, we will do 'hilling', which means we will cover the whole plant with soil again to encourage more growth.  It's supposed to result in more potatoes.

The petunias are also growing well.  The plants look bigger and whatever flowers that are not destroyed by the raindrops are growing big and strong.  I love their colours.  So vibrant!

The cucumbers seedlings are also doing well.  Like the squash, the leaves are growing big, thick and green.

Other plants are not showing any activity on the surface yet.   But I'm hoping there's a party down below.