Sunshine and feeling like a new person

 A couple weeks ago  I was feeling pretty low.  Low energy may be the best way to describe it.  It's officially spring and I have at least three feet of snow on the ground and no end in sight. 

Then one day I woke up,  had a leisurely cup -- or two-- of coffee, and the sun came out and the temperatures gradually started rising. 

How nice it was to feel the sun on my face when I ventured outside to see what that bright orb in the sky was. 

Something about the sun reignited something in me and I felt more energetic and I baked.  I BAKED! I can't remember the last time I made anything in the oven that wasn't protein or pizza. 

Both this past Saturday and Sunday were beautiful days, temperature and sunshine-wise. 

I think it was Sunday we were all outside and soaking in the sunlight.  It could be called taking a solar bath, I suppose.  It was nice to be outside and feeling the heat from the sun. I had Furby on my lap and her feathers were *so* warm and she was leaning on her side, trying to take it all in too. 

That weather was definitely appreciated. 

This weekend was also around nine weeks from my last anticipated frost date.  I set out to plant some seeds. 

My notes were consulted. After making some soil blocks I planted some cabbage and a variety of peppers in some two inch blocks.  I also grabbed three little round seedling cups and over sowed some onion seeds. I think I'm late to the party on those onion seeds.  I've seen online that people have been starting them since January. The back of the packet said 10 weeks, I think.  Over sowing onion seeds is a new thing to me. If they make it - great!  If not, nothing really lost.  

Then I set up two 1020 flats of micro blocks and started planting flowers (mostly) and more Alpine strawberry seeds. 

Why more alpine strawberry seeds?  I decided to purchase a second packet of seeds and toss it in the freezer for several weeks and see if that does anything for the germination rates. 

In these two 1020 flats I have 400 seeds planted.  Isn't that amazing?

Seeds planted are: 

Cilantro (Yes, more.  I'm planning for salsa-making)

Lavender  

Stock (Flower)

Cosmos

Asters (More because the ones I already sowed haven't come up. I'm not giving up on them yet)

Petunias

Impatiens 

Pansys

Violas

Cabbage

Big Red Sweet peppers

Tequila sunrise peppers

Hot lemon peppers

Sweet banana peppers

Habaneros

When I got to the impatiens seeds I decided to dump the contents into a bowl and look around.  I picked up this packet of seeds from the dollar store, and it was full of vermiculite.  The first batch of seeds I "planted" I figure the seeds were so small and that's why they added the vermiculite.  Those seeds have been sitting under the lights for two weeks and nothing has sprouted.  Then I thought maybe all the seeds were at the bottom of the package, and maybe I didn't plant anything at all. 

Looking around in the bowl I discovered the seeds are pelleted. It's pretty obvious what is the seeds, too. 

Can you see those white, rounds bits in the photo? Those are the seeds.  I think ... 

The seeds I planted two weeks ago.  No sign of life. 

This time around I decided to try a couple methods of planting the seeds.  One, in first image of the impatiens, I decided to broadcast sow. 

The second method I pulled out the seeds and dropped on on each microblock.  

One on of our trips to town this weekend I picked up a another packet of impatiens seeds from Walmart, just to see what those seeds look like, and to have as back up in case none of these seeds germinate. 

I put all the trays under the lights when I was done. 

This time I was sure to label them all. 

I have not done much in the way of craftiness this last week, or so. My hands were feeling a bit sore. I thought I'd try working on the crochet blanket and getting one row done a night. That didn't work out.  I have 10 rows to go on it.  I can't wait to be done!

I decided to play around with Youtube a bit, since I couldn't hit the crochet or cross stitch very hard.  A couple videos were put up in the last few days. 

I haven't talked about the chickens in ages.  Our little flock has made it through the winter mostly unscathed.  With the weather gradually getting more sunny I've been letting them out so they can free range a little bit.  They mostly stay around the coop.  With all this snow the don't have much to do or explore.  We are getting between six and eight eggs a day.  

This video shows how much snow we had last week.  We've lost a good amount of snow since then.  Buuuuttttttt .... we are still getting snow! 

Last night we get an inch or two.  The area is supposed to receive up to six more inches of snow between Thursday and Saturday this week.  This news messes with my plans of up potting a few things and maybe setting them out in the greenhouse for part of the day.  When the sun is out the greenhouse is going above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  I'm toying around with the idea of filling some small containers, or cups, of starting mix and planting some more lettuce and a couple other things just to see what happens.  It's only seeds, right? 

Depending on how things are the rest of this week, one day I will make a video and show off my seedlings in a greenhouse tour, of sorts.  The thing is, I'm keenly aware of all the pauses when I speak and I don't want to go "Uh" and "Umm" to fill in the gaps.  Not to mention, it's been ages since I've made videos of myself chatting away. I'm like a deer in the headlights when I hit the record button. 

However, as I may have said before, I'm really eager to record the growing season this year.  I need to get over myself and just take the videos.  Right? Right. 

More snow ... and a seedling update

 I didn't write anything last week because there wasn't much going on.  

If I had written a post this past Saturday, it would have been about the quiet, lazy Saturday my husband and I were having. I pulled out my crochet blanket and was working on it. 

This is Furby and I watching Fr. Brown Mysteries this weekend.  I was crocheting.  She was supervising, and not doing a very good job of it, if you can see her eye.  She was snoozing.  Lazy slacker! 

Then we got snow. We knew it was coming.  We thought we were prepared for it. I don't think we really were.  I think the entire area is completely done and over snow at this time. The roof on the mall collapsed, presumably under the weight of the snow. 

Soooo ... yeah ... after spending several hours on Sunday and Monday, we were not very happy to hear about the snow storm that was coming to our region, starting today. 

This is my poor greenhouse on Monday.  I had to snow blow the path - yet again! - to the greenhouse. 

I had to leave one size of the door unzipped so I can go inside now and knock the snow off the roof. 

I thought I shared this video I made in February.  A quick peek back is showing maybe I didn't. 

You can see how much more snow we have received since then.

It appears Furby is as tired of the snow as we are. 

I noticed this last week, or so, she's been taking naps like this.  Is she blue that the snow isn't going away and we can't spend more time outside?  I wish I knew what was going on in her head. 

This morning my hubby and I were talking about snow removal/moving stuff that will most likely happen tomorrow.  We are confident that when he said something about going up on the roof to clear off the snow, and Furby threw her two cents it, it meant that she was ready and willing to go up on the roof and help him out.  Probably in a supervisor role.  Unless she can flap her wings hard enough to knock the snow down. Wouldn't that be something? 

Yup.  That's pretty much this past week, give or take, in a nut shell. 

The snow started today after the rain. The rain started in the 11 a.m. hour and switched over about 11:30 a.m., maybe. 

So. Seedling update. 

I had envisioned myself posting weekly updates, at the very least.  Perhaps photos every few days.  Obviously this didn't happen and I only have myself to blame.  I really wanted to document this growing year. I guess I'm a lazy slacker, too! 

I made a quick video showing how everything looks. Sometimes photos can't cut it. 

Photos and more details are below.

The container of mixed salad greens I started on February 1. 

I did a light harvest on the first or second day of March.  What a difference fresh greens make on top of a salad made with some iceberg lettuce. I have ideas (grand delusions really) of always having some mixed greens growing in the house during the winter. I'd have to think of a good spot to place the container and grow light

My broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower I started February 12.

The broccoli is to the left and I think it's cauliflower in the middle.  Cabbage on the right. 

The broccoli ... I'm letting it grow, but I'd be surprised if it's very productive down the road. If the broccoli doesn't work out, I'll remind myself it was an experiment and to practice making the soil blocks. The other plants seem to be doing what they are supposed to. These plants are just over a month old now.  I'm keeping an eye on how they look, and will up pot them when I feel it is time to do so. 

All the peppers that sprouted ...

They are doing what I think they should be doing, and not growing too fast.  I'm keeping an eye on them, too. Aren't they pretty, though? 

So then I decided I was going to start some strawberry plants from seed. 

Why? I like trying new things. 

I started these seeds on March 4, 2023. 

On the package it says it can take anywhere from one to six weeks for the seeds to sprout. 

Within a few days this little seedling showed up.  It's the only green thing on these two plates.  

Is it a alpine strawberry plant? Your guess is as good as mine. 

I also thought I'd try starting them on foam plates I picked up from the dollar store. I picked this idea up from the Gardener's Workshop.  

While I don't regret trying the foam plates, I do have some concerns because they sort of stick to the seed mat when the thermostat isn't on and the mat is always warm. 

In the meantime, I have another packet of strawberry seeds in my freezer.  Research found some gardeners saying they had better germination rates if they cold stratified the seeds. 

I also started some more lettuce seeds.  

Gourmet and loose leaf mix started on March 4, 2023. Seedlings started sprouting in a few days.  I dropped the seeds in the little holes and didn't bother to cover them up. I think these seed packets are two years old, at least. 

On March 5 I planted my tomato seeds, more peppers and a sweet pepper. The tomatoes took a little longer than I expected.  

I double seeded the older seeds I had.  Some pinching out may happen in the future.  Unless I want to try and prick some out and try to save them. 

My jalapeños are just starting to pop up.  I was getting a little worried.  They started sprouting a few days ago.  This tray is not on a heating mat. 

Then I started one more tray of micro soil blocks.  Mostly flowers, some herbs and some celery. Scroll down for full list of what I seeded this go around. I noticed a few days later I did *not* mark all the blocks.  It will be a fun surprise once things come up (hopefully) and I can see what they turn in to. 

I decided to not put these blocks on foam trays. I thought I'd give an upside down humidity dome a try. It works. ... It's very flimsy. I broke down and ordered some shallow 1020 trays. The humidity dome is sitting in one of the shallow trays now.  Now my concern is that the watering isn't even.  Glutton for punishment, I am. 

A few things have sprouted.  I was a bit concerned I cooked the seeds.  I set the tray on a seed mat directly, and the mat wasn't on a thermostat.  I rectified this by putting the mats on a splitter and plugging the splitter into the thermostat. 

A couple days after I planted there was some green. I don't have a lot of experience with flower seeds. The slow show of green was concerning to me (Thinking I had cooked the seeds). I have to remind myself that a lot of these seeds take time to germinate.  When to decide they aren't going to come up? No idea.  

In the last few days my celery has started sprouting.  One of the herbs is growing.  A few of the flowers are doing very well. 

Baby hollyhocks

Some calendula.

Butterfly weed. 

I have read in a few places that you shouldn't start a variety of seeds on the same tray, since germination and growth rates are different.  I decided to ignore that bit of information and be a rebel. Things can always been broken up and up potted, if needed. 

Full list of things I planted on March 5, 2023

Cilantro

Lavender (Old seed, fingers crossed)

Thyme

Oregeno

Celery - Tall Utah improved

Calendula - Pacific Beauty mixed

Asters

Impatiens

Butterfly weed

Holly hock

Columbine

Jalapeños

Sweet pepper - California wonder (older seed)

Sweet Banana pepper (one soil block. Figured I didn't need several plants of this pepper)

Tomato - Early treat

Tomato - Best Boy

Tomato - Roma

Tomato - Triple crop

Tomato - Cloudy day

Tomato - Bodacious