One of the things I've been most excited about with having a home is planting a garden. Last year, I planted tomatoes and basil on the patio of our apartment and they did pretty well! Actually.. the basil did pretty well. The tomatoes tasted like poop and had really tough skin. I chalked it up to the fact the seeds came from the dollar spot at Target and not my plant growing abilities :)
During a short trip home this past February, my sister, mom and I stocked up on organic seeds from a local greenhouse/nursery in Liberty, MO. A few weeks later, I started some seedlings indoors in hopes they would be the beginning of a new garden this year! They had a rough, slow start since we kept the house really cold and there's no window that gets consistent direct light throughout the day. After researching online, I found someone who made their own "grow-box" with Christmas lights and a plastic storage box. Christmas lights.. check. Plastic box? Nope. Every plastic box in our house is full.. or has a plan of being full soon. Shoe box to the rescue. Cost? Nada. Results? Seedlings! Yay!
Seedlings first home.
Makeshift grow box to help them out in our chilly house :)
Transplanted in bigger containers and ready to go! The basil found a home in the clay pot and the mint in the buttercuppy flower tin. The melons, peppers and tomatoes went into reused plastic strawberry containers until planting.
Fast forward about 6-8 weeks and the seedlings are ready to go. I transplanted the basil, mint and alpine strawberries into containers on the front porch and Lee built two garden boxes! Thanks to Christine (who has a FABULOUS blog.. and garden!) for the recommendation of the book 'Square Foot Gardening' by Mel Bartholemew, I now have two 4'x4' boxes in the backyard!
The boxes were built and filled by my wonderful hubby who hauled several hundred pounds of soil, vermiculite, manure and compost across the yard after we figured out the wheelbarrow the previous owners left was full of rocks and has a flat tire. Thanks for all the heavy lifting that let me have a sneak peak to the guuuuun shoooow! Woo woo! Smokin!
Oh.. and.. I got cow poop on my shirt.. and shorts.. and down my leg. There was one bag that was wet and leaky. It got me good.
Here's the roll call so far with a few empty squares to add to later:
Galia Melon
Honeydew Melon
Sweet Cherry Tomatoes
Peppers
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Spinach
Baby Carrots
Bush Cucumbers
Onion
Basil
Enjoy the pics below.. I'll update as things get growing :)
Finding the perfect spot in our yard was more difficult that I thought.. kept changing my mind over and over and over. Here.. no there.. yada yada yada.
One down, one to go!
This pile didn't quite do it.. had to go back for more! You like the Freedom Tree Farms organic planting soil labels? A Lee creation/collaboration via Vine Collective.. fabulous!
Just need to add the seeds and seedlings!
Finished for today!
