Welcoming Spring

I had big hopes of welcoming spring with lots of fun activities with the kids, like flying kites, going on a picnic, planting seeds and giving them fun treat baskets (in lieu of doing that at Easter), but things didn't quite work out that way this time. But on the first weekend of spring we did get lots of seeds started indoors so we can plant lots of vegetables and flowers when outdoor temps are suitable. I found tons of seed packets for 10 cents each last fall, so even if they all don't work out, we won't be out much.

See the excitement?!
Our method:
1. Fill a paper cup with good soil. In this case, Miracle-Gro vegetable and flower soil my husband picked up. I wanted to use peat pots, but Lowe's was out of them and I couldn't bring myself to go to Walmart on a Saturday. Paper cups were in our cupboard, were cheap, and will hopefully be a good enough substitute.
2. Plant seeds.
3. Put cups of planted seeds, labelled with a Sharpie in cardboard flats (thanks, Costco) lined with opened up cereal bags (we are out of waxed paper). I figured the cereal bags would keep the moisture in and keep the boxes from getting soggy when we drip while watering.
4. Water well.
5. Set in a sunny window, in an area not likely to be tipped by the activity of young children, watering every day or two to keep moist.
6. Wait.
7. Savor the joy of hearing your children be delighted when a week later they see the first shoots popping up!

So far we are trying to grow two kinds of tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, watermelon, sunflowers, zinnias, and lavender. I did buy more seeds and a couple dozen peat pots, so in the coming week or two, we will plant another round.

Next step: planning and preparing places for all these plants to go when it is time to transplant them!

We live in a tough climate for gardening, but we will keep trying!