Monday, April 22, 2013

Speaking of Earth Day - Sundays are for Gardening. And Carving.

A friend of mine gave me an amazing tip for starting plants in my garden.  I've never started plants from seeds, but she said it was a hell of a lot cheaper, and really simple. I started saving the cardboard tubes that we're all familiar with. Don't you feel good when you recycle?


I filled them with dirt, dropped some seeds in them, and kept them hydrated. 


Whoa - three weeks later, I had about a dozen zucchini plants.


In fact, I had so many, I took some to the Carving Class and shared them with everyone. We all agreed - we need to do this every year, with each of us starting a different plant.

The little plants were really healthy,  


and went into the ground easily. 


But it was still a little chilly at night when I planted them, so I covered them with yet another recycled container - one of those large clear tubs you get when you buy an industrial supply of spinach. 

(Or - as Stella says - green treats.) 


Here's that same plant, six weeks later. 


And another. 

 

All told, I have about a half dozen around the yard. Yes, I love zucchini!


That got me thinking - what else could I start from seeds?  I love this yucca plant, the pink shoots and flowers attract hummingbirds all Summer long, but the local nursery charges way too much for them. 


You guessed it - I saved up some more rolls 


and found a pod of seeds laying near the plant. The plant drops these pods at the end of the summer. I never knew what was inside until I noticed Stella gnawing on one. She had little black seeds all over her tongue, and you know what your mom says - if you're going to eat that, you're going to have plants growing in your stomach!!! (Where do mothers get those lines?)


I grabbed some of my favorite planting mix 


but you-know-who was all about playing, rather than helping. 


Fold the bottom up, 


put a little dirt in it and drop in some seeds.


Keep your fingers crossed. 

Of course, just after I planted all these seeds, I read an article about pre-soaking the seeds before planting them - that it gives them a boost in the sprouting stage. 

Next time!


These will be out in the sun until they're ready to go in the ground. 



Here's a recipe for a great organic weed killer - don't you feel guilty spraying highly toxic stuff on weeds? I know I do! I'm planning on making a batch of this ASAP. 


Yup, that's it - pretty much what I fill my Sundays with - gardening, working around the house, and catching up on my R & R. This lettuce looks great, doesn't it?



Speaking of R & R, someone asked me the other day what I do for relaxation. Ummm.... I had to think about that one.  Yesterday I had the day off, and this is what I played with - a simple carving based on a tee-shirt I just bought. 



It was an interesting design, so I thought I'd try my hand at it.


Happy Earth Day!

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