Sometimes, we hold wisdom and hope in our own hearts and souls.
E's first thoughts about a Spring garden is: A bunch of flowers: Sunflowers, marigolds, daisies, you know those types of flowers.
My first thoughts about a Spring garden is: Earth, fresh veggies, freedom.
What is your first thoughts when you think Spring garden?
- Mom and E
P. S. look forward to some updates coming your way in the next few weeks- lasagna gardening and seed starting as well as a new E's Recipe!
Showing posts with label container gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label container gardening. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Planting with E- Indoor Herb Garden
We were at Wal-Mart the other day to get dirt to winter sow (see previous posts) and we picked up a good sized pot. E just wanted it (ok- he wanted an even bigger one, but I talked him down to a slightly smaller one). We've finally decided what to do with it- make an indoor herb garden!
Since we had some pop bottles left over from winter sowing we decided the best way to sort of separate the herbs would be to use those to our advantage. Since we were afraid of the roots becoming bound we decided to cut the bottom out of them. We meant to get pics, but as you know our intentions of doing this only happen about half the time. We get to into what we are doing to stop and take pics.
We put a layer of dirt in the pot so that there would be more room for the roots once they grown down below the pop bottles. Also so the pop bottles would line up close to the top, but still have enough room left to conceal them with dirt. Then we set the pop bottles in the pot, and filled them almost all the way up with dirt.
The hope is that their roots will have room to spread closer to the bottom and the others will have root room closer to the top. Who knows if it will work - we sure don't. What fun is life without trying new things though?
So we planted cilantro in one pop bottle and parsley in the other. Then filled the rest of the pot with dirt (well almost to the top- we ran out of dirt, but it is pretty full and we think it will be enough). We then planted basil and red leaf lettuce in the spots without pop bottles. We know red leaf lettuce isn't exactly a herb, but E wanted to see what it looked and tasted like before we planted it outside in the Spring, so in it went!
Here is a pic of the finished product (do you like the worm peeking up out the middle that tells you if it needs watered or not- E loves it):
We'll update when they start coming in and let you know how it goes! What's something you have tried just to try it and how did it go?
-Mom and E
Since we had some pop bottles left over from winter sowing we decided the best way to sort of separate the herbs would be to use those to our advantage. Since we were afraid of the roots becoming bound we decided to cut the bottom out of them. We meant to get pics, but as you know our intentions of doing this only happen about half the time. We get to into what we are doing to stop and take pics.
We put a layer of dirt in the pot so that there would be more room for the roots once they grown down below the pop bottles. Also so the pop bottles would line up close to the top, but still have enough room left to conceal them with dirt. Then we set the pop bottles in the pot, and filled them almost all the way up with dirt.
The hope is that their roots will have room to spread closer to the bottom and the others will have root room closer to the top. Who knows if it will work - we sure don't. What fun is life without trying new things though?
So we planted cilantro in one pop bottle and parsley in the other. Then filled the rest of the pot with dirt (well almost to the top- we ran out of dirt, but it is pretty full and we think it will be enough). We then planted basil and red leaf lettuce in the spots without pop bottles. We know red leaf lettuce isn't exactly a herb, but E wanted to see what it looked and tasted like before we planted it outside in the Spring, so in it went!
Here is a pic of the finished product (do you like the worm peeking up out the middle that tells you if it needs watered or not- E loves it):
We'll update when they start coming in and let you know how it goes! What's something you have tried just to try it and how did it go?
-Mom and E
Monday, January 27, 2014
Updated Wintersow Pics
We know we discussed winter sowing awhile back, but we finally got the dirt to do it. Hopefully we are not too late!! The premise is easy- if you put your seeds outside to sprout it will be more akin to how things happen in nature. Your seeds and thus seedlings (plant starts) will be more hardy come the cool weather when you first put them out. We are experimenting this year and winter sowing, starting some plants indoors and planting some directly into the ground. One of the coolest things about it is that you can recycle plastic containers (such as milk jugs and pop bottles) to start them in.
We ended up planting quite a bit this way:
Tomatoes
-Snow White Cherry
-Chocolate Cherry
-1884 Purple
-Pineapple
-Potato Leaf Type (wintersown- that is all the info they gave us)
Peppers
Jalapeno
Mexibel
Bell
Other
Tomatillo's
Marigold
Nasturtiums
Here is how they look now:
All we have left to do is get our duct tape to seal them better and write the type on to tape to the bottom - then out they go. We'll do another post closer to Spring when they start coming in!
We have never winter sown, and can't wait to see the results. Either way it turns out E had a good time:
We also planted mint for inside the house (plain pot).
Tomorrow we are going to plant an indoor herb garden with basil, parsley, cilantro, and one more but not sure yet - so when they start coming in we'll post updated pics.
Do you have any gardening projects going or are you planning and waiting impatiently for Spring?
Mom and E
We ended up planting quite a bit this way:
Tomatoes
-Snow White Cherry
-Chocolate Cherry
-1884 Purple
-Pineapple
-Potato Leaf Type (wintersown- that is all the info they gave us)
Peppers
Jalapeno
Mexibel
Bell
Other
Tomatillo's
Marigold
Nasturtiums
Here is how they look now:
All we have left to do is get our duct tape to seal them better and write the type on to tape to the bottom - then out they go. We'll do another post closer to Spring when they start coming in!
We have never winter sown, and can't wait to see the results. Either way it turns out E had a good time:
We also planted mint for inside the house (plain pot).
Tomorrow we are going to plant an indoor herb garden with basil, parsley, cilantro, and one more but not sure yet - so when they start coming in we'll post updated pics.
Do you have any gardening projects going or are you planning and waiting impatiently for Spring?
Mom and E
Friday, January 24, 2014
Our indoor winter mini garden
Mid December:
When we cleaned up the garden we saw that we had a pepper plant that was tiny still. It had one small green pepper on it, so we brought it in to see how it would do. Then E wanted to plant chives and small onions. Next it was carrots and flowers. I explained things would grow slower, however he had to have it. No biggie to me- seems like it is a great winter fix and a good learning experience.
We pinched off our pepper so that the plant could concentrate on growing. It has grown some, but not exceptionally so. I wasn't sure if our other seeds would do well for awhile- so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that OUR SEEDS HAVE SPROUTED!! That includes chives (the one I figured would grow), onions and carrots. Did I mention the carrots are cosmic purple?
Beginning of January:
The pepper plant is getting some blooms- so we will see if they turn into peppers. However, we had a little problem when we up potted it... we waited too long and it was a little root bound. As I was trying to free it from the pop bottle container (we meant to only have it in there for a little bit) The cat knocked me just right for one hand (holding the pop bottle pot) to go in one direction and the other (holding the pepper plant) to go in the other. I was knocked off balance and ummm broke the roots in half. So, we shall see. I hope it makes as it was ready to make some peppers- le sigh. E was not happy with Walle (the cat).
Our carrots are growing a little, but seem clumped up- maybe we should thin them and sow a few more in the very noticeable blank areas. Sorry no pic- I couldn't seem to get a good one.
The onions and chives are growing. In the pic is also our little cactus plants and some mint that we just planted today. Do you like E's Popsicle stick fence nestled between the chives and onions?:
The trees are going strong- these were from my grandpa's (E's great grandpa's) funeral and I was scared to death I would kill them, but I've had them since October and here they are still alive! Two of them did lose their leaves before I brought them in (it had a light frost) and I just knew that was it for them. New growth soon appeared and they are good to go. I will up pot them closer to Spring and see if they take off more. By the way, does anyone know what kind of trees these are? Are they ok to keep inside or should I consider putting them outside next fall.
Flowers- not came up yet. To be honest it could be the seeds as they were a random mix (if I remember correctly- E can't remember either so at least we are even). I didn't take a pic because they haven't sprouted. We may need to re-start them.If they ever come up we will post a pic and let everyone know what they are! We like to think of it as a surprise- and we love surprises!
Are you growing things indoors this year or have in the past? We'd love to know what you have grown and get new ideas for next winter
- Mom and E
When we cleaned up the garden we saw that we had a pepper plant that was tiny still. It had one small green pepper on it, so we brought it in to see how it would do. Then E wanted to plant chives and small onions. Next it was carrots and flowers. I explained things would grow slower, however he had to have it. No biggie to me- seems like it is a great winter fix and a good learning experience.
We pinched off our pepper so that the plant could concentrate on growing. It has grown some, but not exceptionally so. I wasn't sure if our other seeds would do well for awhile- so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that OUR SEEDS HAVE SPROUTED!! That includes chives (the one I figured would grow), onions and carrots. Did I mention the carrots are cosmic purple?
Beginning of January:
The pepper plant is getting some blooms- so we will see if they turn into peppers. However, we had a little problem when we up potted it... we waited too long and it was a little root bound. As I was trying to free it from the pop bottle container (we meant to only have it in there for a little bit) The cat knocked me just right for one hand (holding the pop bottle pot) to go in one direction and the other (holding the pepper plant) to go in the other. I was knocked off balance and ummm broke the roots in half. So, we shall see. I hope it makes as it was ready to make some peppers- le sigh. E was not happy with Walle (the cat).
Our carrots are growing a little, but seem clumped up- maybe we should thin them and sow a few more in the very noticeable blank areas. Sorry no pic- I couldn't seem to get a good one.
The onions and chives are growing. In the pic is also our little cactus plants and some mint that we just planted today. Do you like E's Popsicle stick fence nestled between the chives and onions?:
The trees are going strong- these were from my grandpa's (E's great grandpa's) funeral and I was scared to death I would kill them, but I've had them since October and here they are still alive! Two of them did lose their leaves before I brought them in (it had a light frost) and I just knew that was it for them. New growth soon appeared and they are good to go. I will up pot them closer to Spring and see if they take off more. By the way, does anyone know what kind of trees these are? Are they ok to keep inside or should I consider putting them outside next fall.
Flowers- not came up yet. To be honest it could be the seeds as they were a random mix (if I remember correctly- E can't remember either so at least we are even). I didn't take a pic because they haven't sprouted. We may need to re-start them.If they ever come up we will post a pic and let everyone know what they are! We like to think of it as a surprise- and we love surprises!
Are you growing things indoors this year or have in the past? We'd love to know what you have grown and get new ideas for next winter
- Mom and E
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)