Monday, January 29, 2007

Gardening Experiment, Year 2

Well, last year was my first year to try my hand at gardening. It was quite exciting for the first few weeks, then it turned into a miserable failure. My Grandma saved me mid-summer with beautiful potted plants that lasted me all the way to November.

I learned a few things from last year's experiment:
  1. Vegetables aren't good potted plants. They need tons more soil than a pot can provide.
  2. April is too late to plant things from seed.
  3. Pots should be filled to the top with soil, not a few inches down. The more soil, the better!
  4. Putting all the seeds from the packet into the soil doesn't guarantee success; it just means all the more seedlings you have to pull out, which turns out is hard for me to do
  5. Seedlings really DO have to be pulled out to let others get big and strong.
So, I have made a few adjustments to this year's plan.
  1. I bought seeds of the same flowers Grandma gave me mid-summer: zinnias and marigolds, plus a few other things (including my one "success"--peppers)
  2. I've already started them in little seedling pots indoors, and they'll be big enough to go outside after the first frost!
  3. When it's time, I'll fill the pots to the brim with soil
  4. I've only planted enough seedlings for my pots, and no more, except for a few that I can give to people who would like to have them for their own garden
  5. I will do my best to pull the weaker seedlings and save the stronger ones. It will be hard, but I will do it.
So here is what I have, a pallet of peat pots (what alliteration!) filled with:
  • Flowers: Marigolds, zinnias, baby's breath, and morning glories (for the front porch columns, hopefully)
  • Herbs: Basil, Chives, Cilantro
  • Vegetables: Jalapenos and Anaheim chilis
The crepe myrtles are still outside, and I think they're making it through the winter. The potato vines are also still in the soil, so I'm wondering if they'll make it, too. If not, I guess I'll go buy those when it's time to work outside.

I'm so excited! I realize Experiment #2 may prove just as miserable as #1, but I feel like I learned from last year, and I'll learn this year, too. I'm sure I'll give you updates!

12 comments:

  1. Yea! for having an area to garden first off! Yea! for growing your skills, and yea! for pretty flowers.

    Good luck to you, I had a few success stories in my life, but never with anything in a pot. I can do flower beds or just plain old earth, but me and potted plants have issues.

    Good luck and can't wait to see!

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  2. When are you gonna make pickles again? Experiment #1 with pickles went quite well!

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  3. @Leanna: Maybe the pots are the issue. However, our yard is like rock, and I can't see spending a lot of time trying to redeem it when it's only a rental. However, I'm hoping to put the morning glories in the ground. We'll see how those go.

    @Karen: The pickles did go well, but they were a huge mess! If you came and helped me sometime (this summer), then it would be more fun. :)

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  4. Yay! A pickle project partnership!

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  5. What alliteration!!!

    You'll look super in your new styling swim suit! We'll find one for you. LUV

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  6. All my plants are still alive..but that is about all I can say for them. I am bad about remembering to cover them when it gets cold...

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  7. Ooh! My first seedlings just sprouted up! The marigolds win!!

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  8. Yea! for the marigold! We bought some lavendar which I am excited to see if it works, and maybe snapdragons...I can't remember.

    Garden Master here we come!

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  9. "I'm free!" screamed the sproutling marigold. "Oh crap, what's all this brown stuff that's holding me back," she questioned as she looked at the soil. "Lemme outta here...I want to be free!"

    Ok, so sometimes, we don't always get what we think we have...

    But I'm sure she's happy.

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  10. Mmmm...cilantro! Best of luck in your gardening adventures. I've never been able to keep anything alive, myself...but I admire people who can. Even if it's just one little pepper!

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  11. Hey, where did the Friday pics go in your header?

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  12. The Friday pics went away when I switched to the new Blogger. So did my counter at the bottom. So, I have to reset that at some point in time, but haven't done it, yet. Sad, because now my counter is all off. I guess I'll have to add a few thousand readers in the time it hasn't been up! :)

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