Seed Starting Project Phase II

I began Phase II of my seed starting project this weekend! After having great luck with three day germination on some of my seeds started last weekend, I decided to continue on with my project. In my windowsill greenhouse with a small heat mat underneath it, I have also started Ferry Morse Tomato (Roma VF), Tomato (Jelly Bean Hybrid), and Tomato (Red Cherry), along with Burpee Tomato (Big Boy) and Park Seed Tomato (Choice Container VFF Hybrid) - this one was free with my Park Seed order!

I also planted Park Seed Pepper (Hot Mucho Nacho Hybrid), Broccoli (Cornado), Squash (Organic Early Summer Crookneck).

Along with the above veggie seeds, I also decided to try some flower seeds as well. With this I planted Park Seed (Mirabilis Salmon Sunset), Hosta (American Crosses), Gaillardia (Arizona Apricot), Burpee Viola (Psychedelic Spring), Park Seed Coreopsis (Tictoria Roulette) and Rudbeckia (Cappuccino).

I planted some of the seeds from my daylily plants that I collected up at the end of the summer last year. After drying these and placing them in baggies in the refrigerator over the winter, I got them out and tried my hand at planting some of those as well!

Only time will tell if my seed starting endeavors have been worth it!

Our Little Piece of Heaven is Coming Alive!

OUR LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN IS COMING ALIVE!

After searching my flower beds, I found a few areas that are beginning to come alive with the promise of Spring! What a refreshing site! Its time to get out and freshen up the beds and get ready for the bit event - Gardening Season!

I hope all of you are seeing you own little signs of the promise of Spring!

SPRING FEVER AND DREAMS OF GARDENING!

With what seems like a very "short" and "warmer than usual" winter, I am already starting to get a itchin' from the Spring Fever Bug!  I know there are still more cold days to come, but I was so excited to get started on my seed endeavor this year.  I placed my order from Burpee and Park Seed last night and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of more seeds!

After reviewing my "Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook" by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski that I started last year, I found that it was time to get some seeds started.  My weekend consisted of purchasing needed supplies (some of which I purchased on clearance at the end of the year last year) and getting my plan together. 

I prepared two "Jiffy" mini greenhouses.  In thes I planted Ferry-Morse Cauliflower (Early Snowball A), Broccoli (De Cicco), Brussel Sprouts (Catskill), Cabbage (Copenhagen Market, Early Hybrid), Burpee Cabbage (Crisp and Cool Hybrid), and Livingston Seed Co. Spinach (Bloomsdale, Long-standing).


I have prepared an area with a shop light

hanging overhead, very close to the mini greenhouses.  I have the light set on a timer to come on at 5 a.m. and go off at 9 p.m. to allow 16 hours of light for germination.  We will see how this works out!  I should have some seedlings poking through within 8 to 10 days!  Can't wait to see!


 It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!  ~Mark Twain

HAPPY FALL - FUN WITH OREO, DAISY, AND JAKE!

Hello Everyone!  Fall is finally here in Southern Indiana and we have been enjoying it greatly!  Lots of activities going on in the garden with clean up and fall fun!  Oreo recently met Jake, which was a very funny encounter!  I think Jake was a bit scared of Orea!  I have my Mums planted and have started getting together the scarecrows and pumpkins! 

We created some fun treats for the bunnies, empty toilet paper rolls filled with Timothy Grass!  They love them and they are a great, inexpensive way to give the bunnies some fun toys!

Hope all is well!  Enjoy fall!  More great fall pictures to come soon! 

OH THE JOYS OF GARDEN VISITORS!

What a neat day! Luck was on my side as I sat in my chair on my porch early this morning! The visitors were excited and hurriedly visiting each of the plants still flowering in my garden.

As a lot of you know, some days you have "good photography days" and some days are not so good! Well, this just so happened to be a good day for me!

I was very happy to see that the Hummingbirds were still enjoying the flowers of my garden. The yellow finch was waiting for me to leave my seat so that he could visit the finch feeder I have on my porch. He did actually fly to the feeder to get a snack, but at that point he was actually to close for me to get a good picture.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Happy Gardening! Mindy

SEEDS, SEEDS, AND MORE SEEDS!

Hello fellow gardening friends!  Yes, I am still around.  The month of August found me hustling around with work, the beginning of school, and both girls making the volleyball team, one in middle school and one in high school.  As you can image my weeks are very busy.  I found myself missing my blogging and decided to make time to get in touch with everyone again!   The first week in September has brought us much cooler temperatures here in Southern Indiana. as well as some rain showers!  Everything seems a bit refreshed!  I have been collecting up seeds and searching my garden for seedlings. 

Below, I found this seedling plant from one of my Crepe Myrtle bushes!  I was so excited, now to just baby it until I can move it to its own location!

 Four o'clocks are nice seeding plants!  The seeds are very easy to collect and grow easily when sown directly in the ground after danger of frost in the spring!

 I have also collected some seeds from a couple of my daylily plants!  I have placed these in the refrigerator in baggies to hopefully be succesful in planting either in pots this winter or in the ground this next Spring!  I have not tried this yet, so hopefully I have some luck!

To all my friends, I look forward to keeping my blog up and have enjoyed this little post very much!  It has reminded me of how much fun this blogging is! 

I am still in the process of planning my shade garden and thank you all for the great input on shade plants you have had luck with!  I have been looking at the Park Seed and Wayside Garden web sites for neat plants! 

The bunnies (Oreo and Daisy) are doing great and growing like weeds!  Hope to post some pictures of them soon!  They are certainly enjoying this cooler weather! 

Hope the cooler weather finds each and every one of your gardens! 

Happy Gardening!

Mindy

KOUSA DOGWOOD - ANOTHER FRUIT??

KOUSA DOGWOOD (Cornus Kousa)

This is an Asian flowering dogwood native to Korea, Japan, and China.  This tree is on our "Little Piece of Heaven on Earth."  Kousa Dogwood blooms later than the native dogwood.  The blooms attract bees and butterflies.  The fruit attracts birds and squirrels.  Believe it or not, the fruit is edible to people; however, I have never made anything with the fruit from this tree.  Maybe I will do a little more research on it and create a fabulous recipe using the fruit???

The dogwoods are such beautiful trees year round.  From the flowers in the spring to the fruit in the summer and then lastly the changing of leaf color in the fall, the dogwood creates year round color and a unique show in the garden.

Happy Gardening! Mindy