Thursday, February 21, 2013

Proto-Garden: Getting Ready for Spring

It is hard to think about spring when it is 30 degrees with 30 mph winds, but having had a less-than-usual amount of time outdoors this winter, I thought I would go ahead and get things started for our garden.  We actually have enough space to have a large garden now and I can't wait.  Last weekend, I cleared off the kitchen table and set up an area for seed starting.  We are about 8 weeks out from last frost here, so it is the perfect time to start things like tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and various other plants.  Michael built a stand to hold a fluorescent light fixture since we don't get quite enough light through the window to keep them going.
As of today, nearly everything has sprouted.  I just have to keep them alive until it is warm enough to put them in the ground.

Pictures (click to enlarge):
 Basil just starting to sprout.
 Snowball Cauliflower sprouts
 Dixie cups make good starting pots.
 Cherokee Purple Tomato sprout.
We also built a cold frame from an old window and salvage lumber we got from the Community Forklift in Edmonston, MD.
 French Breakfast Radish sprouts in the cold frame.
 We planted one raised bed of kale, onions, and garlic in the fall.  Things are growing slowly in it, but they are coming along.
 Garlic just coming up.
 My daffodils have already set buds.
Our bird feeder is popular with a local Red-Bellied Woodpecker (thanks, Katrina!).  If anyone knows what kind this is, let me know.

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