If you remember (or if I told you), you may know that the seeds I started a few weeks back were from last years seed packets. I didn't store them correctly, and they were expired. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull them off, mostly because I know nothing about seeds, so I thought I'd try to plant them and see what happened. We're still weeks (many, many) from the last frost date, but I was curious. And if I'm curious... well, you know. Nothing gets in my way.


The majority of the seeds are growing well.

One of my goals is to teach my children as many skills as possible to make them as well-rounded as I can. My son already "cooks" with me (I describe what I'm doing while he watches, and sometimes there are parts he can lend a hand), as one example. Lately, Nate has really been into his version of gardening. We stuck some apple seeds into a yogurt cup, as can be seen above (it's the dark green bunch of plants). I have no idea what to do with it now, though! Our latest project was making the rye grass for Easter.


Nate's is the one that has hardly any growth. He has a problem with over-watering. Unfortunately, all the herbs behind it died. I think I'm going to have to buy a plant at the nursery to pot into large pots, because I can't seem to start them from seeds, ever.

On the other hand, the lettuce from the lettuce project has gotten HUGE. I fed the first leaf to Kai and Timothy, today.


I am not sure what to do now, because if I harvest all of this to feed them, it will take months before the lettuce grows enough to feed them again. Hmm. I've got to find a better solution.

Last, I leave you with a look outdoors. We live on a sledding hill and while the snow has melted on all the streets in the rest of the town, ours is stubbornly hanging on. We've got frozen ice hills and slushy water ruts which make driving over it feel like four-wheeling. Nate and Sammi love to hum "mmmm-uh-mmmm-uh-mmmm-uh" as they go over it, making that vibrating noise that kids so love. (Think: blowing into a fan.)


Is the snow ever going to melt off our street? Is that last frost date ever going to come?

Luckily, the kids and I got out for a forty-minute walk yesterday and it was superb. We saw and heard birds, saw clumps of snow fall crashing to the ground, and patches of dead grass here and there. Spring is coming. Finally.

(P.S. Want a laugh? You have to be willing to see a large amount of cleavage and a huge arm. Sammers is resting her chin on my bosom while she watches a movie. No wonder she prefers cuddling with me!)

Labels: gardening, lettuce project

Wow. It's been ages since the last time I did a lettuce project update. Over a month, in fact!

Here are two pictures after horrible Operation Pinenut and Operation Granola. The lettuce made a resurgence.


If you click on it, you can see how the real lettuce is starting to grow.


Here's some more "real" lettuce growth.

Then, six days later:


It got larger!

Fourteen days later (today) it looks like a jungle in there!



This has been fun and I can't wait to see how it changes over the next few months. :)

Labels: lettuce project

We unfortunately had two large incidents which have decimated half the population in the Lettuce Project: Operation Pinenut and Operation Granola. Due to strategic incompetence, the organizer of the Lettuce Project placed the open tank under a kitchen cupboard. Because of operator error, two large bags of pinenuts and granola fell on the lettuce sprouts at varying times of growth, eliminating half the competition.

The organizer of the Lettuce Project fully admits to her moronic actions and has removed the project from underneath the kitchen cupboards. The move to the living room shelf took less than five minutes and hopefully did not traumatize the sprouts too much.

Organizer over and out.

Labels: gardening, lettuce project

It's been four days and already the sprouts are standing nice and tall. Maybe in a few months I'll actually have real lettuce?!

After watching Patti's videos, Aaron and I are thinking about temporarily converting some of the shelves in our living room to access more light from the windows. Then when we start our tomato seedlings in a couple weeks (as I get time), they'll have more natural light.

Right now, I am trying to figure out what to start the seeds for the garden in. Last year I started them in little peat pellets. Is that a good environmental choice? [Edit: I just found this article. Does that mean peat pellets are not a good choice?] I have old yogurt cups that I'm going to transplate the seedlings in after they outgrow their peat pellets, and I'll just keep recycling and reusing those yogurt cups. Anyone have any tips or advice? (I know very few people are reading right now, and none are commenting, but I'm working on changing that.)



In other news, this plant was left out doors after the frost swept in, and it was "killed off". I brought it in doors and was going to dump it when I realized it had a bulb-like root system. I replanted it and put it in direct light and kept it well watered. I can't even remember what the plant is, so it should be interesting to see when it grows more! I'm surprised it even made it this far. So exciting!

Labels: gardening, lettuce project

I have a bearded dragon and a red-eared slider turtle whom both eat mostly lettuce. I'm tired of paying for store bought lettuce, and since I live in zone 4b/5a, it's a little too cold to be growing lettuce outdoors! I was cleaning out some pet supplies when it dawned on me that I may be able to use my old plant light on an empty 10 gallon tank and turn it into an indoor lettuce garden. Warm, no pests, good drainage, and I'd be able to keep an eye on it since I put it in my kitchen.

Here's the beginning picture of "The Lettuce Project". I really have no idea what I'm doing, so any suggestions/comments are completely welcome!

Labels: gardening, lettuce project