The big picture

I think we need to add on to the house.... either that or take out the pool table so I have more room for seedlings. I sure wish I wrote down when I put the plants out into the greenhouse last year. This is what the pool room looks like in front of the windows, and if I about turn, more on the other wall.

But that's not all. This used to be the "spare" bedroom. Thank goodness for the Murphy bed which gets the heck out of the way! From the doorway you get a glimpse of the mess which I tidy constantly because it is tight and gets messed up every time I plant or transplant. A lot of little plants crammed into this tiny room.

As you can see, there is no room on any of my stands for more plants. Well, a couple on one in the pool room, but all the ones on the floor are just catching rays for the day and will be going on the stand come night time for some extra light.

I shudder to think what all this lighting has done to my power bill this spring. And once again, I am out of potting soil. I really like the Garden Club stuff from Canadian Tire, but they only have it in small bags yet. Seems the big ones are outside covered in snow. It does not seem to be mostly peat moss, which I really don't like as it gets so hard and crusty if it dries out too much. I sure hope they bring it in soon - and put it on sale.

I planted Livingston Daisies in those two bright green pots. Will post pictures when they look like something - i.e. they bloom.

Today I started some blue Morning Glories and Statice. I am dying to start my watermelon and butternut squash, but it is still too soon.

Calibrachoa

What a glorious day! It got to 90 F in the greenhouse today, so Ryan and I spent some time cleaning it out. I now have room to put 26 flats of plants in there without them being too close to the walls. That's important, because when the temperature drops at night, the ones too close to the walls can get frozen.

Unfortunately, I already have 28 flats in the house. And many to be transplanted from little containers into bigger ones.

Some of the calibrachoa are blooming now, and the marigolds and alyssum are close. I have some thunbergia (black-eyed Susan vine) I am keeping for a friend, and one has bloomed. Such a hopeful time of year to see things start to colour. I also have an amaryllis that blooms off and on for me - and look at it now!

Convolvulus Confusion

Insanity runs strong in my family. I won't name the others who have it to preserve their dignity, but you know who you are. Enough said.
I think it may have been a bad idea to buy starter trays that have 200 cells in just a 10" by 20" area. Herein lies the root of my problem. I saved convolvulus seeds last year, so I have many. MANY. And you never know how saved seed will germinate, so I started 200. I mean, I HAVE the tray... and the cover fits nicely. And you can't put a variety of plants in there, because they may have different germination rates and requirements.
How exciting. On March 19th I planted my little seeds. March 23rd I had 54 seedlings up! March 24th at noon I had 72, and at noon on March 26th there were 110 (shown above). Seems they were pretty fertile. Notice how the little leaves are shaped, compared with the mature ones, which are a beautiful heart shape. And the little guys get right to work growing - about 2" high within a day. They are in the same family as the Morning Glory, for those of you who think that that is what they look like. You're right!

Now these lovely plants will either climb or trail, and I was inspired by a speaker at our last garden club meeting to put them in hanging baskets. They will both climb up the hanger and tumble over the edges.
There is just no describing the beautiful deep purple blooms with light throats. You have to see it for yourself. Anyway, as I said, they climb. Last year the darn things intertwined among themselves before I could even get them into the greenhouse. So this year I will be putting them in baskets and pots (and empty milk jugs and tin cans and a variety of things if they continue to spout) and give them a good start in their final homes.
They do not get as full as say, wave petunias, so it will take a fair number to make a basket look full. I think I will throw something white in with some of them for a most striking display. And speaking of white blooms, it looks like my alyssum are going to start blooming any day now.

And look at the great little pots I picked up. I think either portulaca or Livingston daisies would look fabulous in them. They had them in blue (instead of the green) too. I think I may go back and get a couple of them. I just wish they were a little bigger, they are only about 7" across.

When is the snow supposed to be gone?

I plant, therefore I am

Oh man, will I ever learn? There are just so many pretty seed packets in the stores...
And why is it that seeds that cost $6 and have only 10 in a packet only germinate at about 50%, but the 99 cent packages have hundreds and every one germinates? And who needs 300 cabbage plants? That reminds me, I was going to start some cabbage...
The biggest cost is the darn soil. Takes a lot to fill all those little cell packs. I spend an average of 3 hours a day looking after everything. Some days it is as much as 8 hours, some just an hour making sure everything is watered. Good thing we had a lot of snow, as our water is very bad for plants so I have to melt a lot of snow.
Below are a few pictures of what I have on the go - in video form.

I think I have more than I will need... so if there is something you want, make sure to let me know. I will be selling off the extras the long weekend in May and the weekend before that. I hope to make enough from selling my plants to cover the cost of seeds, soil, flats and propane which I need to keep everything from freezing once it goes into the greenhouse. Last year I used 5 tanks of propane alone!

The long weekend I also plan to have a garage sale and also sell all the antiques I really don't need. So if you want to come for a drive - see you then. In the meantime, you can follow along and watch the plants grow!