Pinterest Inspired Gardening
March 8, 2012
The two things I said I would never do: sew and garden. You know how people say they have a green thumb, well I think I actually have a khaki pinkie. Despite what I already know about my appendages and their lack of finesse with growing things, Pinterest has me doing both! And in the same year!
Although I was supposed to post my big Pinta-Party offerings a few weeks, I’m doing it now. We got the flu, felt like dying and I got behind. You know, just the usual.
Anyways, here’s what I started with:
I ended up buying these little seedling growing pots which I quickly found out was unnecessary because I could have used toilet paper rolls, eggshell planters, or my very own homemade paper planters from recycled shredded paper. In any case, a set of 36 will run you about $3. Not the end of the world.
Daughter and I then used specific indoor, seedling potting soil and planted the following:
Carrots, lettuce, swiss chard, radishes, parsley, basil, cucumber, green onions, peas, watermelon, tomato, and squash. We chose those seeds to plant based on what was fairly easy to grow, what would offer the greatest financial reward and what we would simply enjoy growing and eating.
I took a plastic container from our spinach that was just waiting to be reused and another extra plastic bin I had lying around and we dropped the containers inside.
Itty was extremely excited about the prospect of growing our own food and demanded I take a picture of her with her babies! She waters, talks and fans our little seedlings everyday.
On Day 4, we noticed our first little sprout. Can you guess what it might be?
Nothing in this one. Yet.
The little guy in the middle is a radish! Apparently they grow quickly and very easily! Sounds good to me.
On Day 15 we have plants for all the seeds we planted, except lettuce! I’m getting a little worried about it now.
I don’t if you can see it in this picture, but the first 2 rows and columns on the right are our watermelon and squash plants. Both grew these shoots with leaves that still had the seed attached! It was the most awesome sight!
Our babies have been moved from our “real kitchen” to the kid’s kitchen. Here they’re closer to a light source (and ” OMG, Mom! Something is wrong with our plants. They’re bending over like this *demonstrates* towards the window!”). Don’t worry folks, I velcroed the containers to the tops of the “cabinets”.
I’m worried about the giant pea seedling we have growing. I think he’s the only one that is gonna need more room pronto!
Watermelon!
Now of course the next step is to make some raised beds, maybe even a few vertical planters from gutters and perhaps even an upside down tomato planter. Wish us luck as we start to move the seedlings to bigger pots and then eventually harden the plants in the next few weeks.
If you’re interested in starting a garden or already have a garden, my gardening board on Pinterest has lost of great resources!
I love tips like these and have several more like these in my