Do you have any seed packets? If not, go to the store. Go to the grocery store or to the nursery. Now is the time to find them! Now, if you have them, grab them. Grab them right now. Right. This. Second. Now shake them. Do you hear that sound? That's the sound of possibility!
It's March and I can finally justify starting seeds indoors! Not that I haven't been already, but now it's reasonable! I grow my vegetables in a zone 5b climate in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where it's lovingly cared for by my parents. It's now about 10 weeks before the last frost date which means I can start cool season crops like broccoli, cabbage and parsley inside my window. That also means that In another three weeks I can justify starting warm season plants like tomato and bell pepper!
If you're starting seeds indoors, it's recommended that you put them a few inches under a fluorescent grow light. Full spectrum is ideal but one cool white bulb with one warm white bulb will do for fairly healthy growth. You'll want fluorescents since they produce very little heat and will not burn up your plants. You can also start seeds in a window but the problem is that they tend to get leggy. I don't personally mind them being a little leggy because it means I can keep the electric bill a bit lower. I am also blessed with a south west facing window which means I get a lot of sun during the day.
I've already started mustard greens which are doing beautifully in the windowsill. The kind I have were collected from a variety known as red threads. I like to start some of my meals with a few small leaves for a touch of bitterness to aid digestion.
I'm planning to only start my kale this year on my window. The rest of the window is being saved for the 20 varieties of tomato seed that I have in my seed box.
Note:
I'm currently in Connecticut and though the time stamp on this post may read the 5th, I had to post it on the 6th. The blogger app for android was having difficulty posting the revised version and I didn't have access to a computer. I will be posting another seed related blog post within the next month that will expand on this, unfortunately my time was cut short due to external factors. I'm a little worried about my plants at home because I didn't have time to water them before I left for my trip and I was supposed to be back on Thursday. Unfortunately, LaGuardia airport shut down following a plane crashing into a fence at the airport so I will be leaving Saturday.
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Thursday, February 26, 2015
The Art of Letting Go (of plants)
Imagine a summer day. No clouds are in the sky, the temperature is in the Upper 70s, the sunlight dances on your skin and there's a gentle breeze across your back. The pavement is just getting warm. Now imagine you feel all of that, but it's about 45 degrees outside. That was the tropical plant room.
Hoya carnosa, also known as wax flower, might be my favorite houseplant. Mine came from a cutting of a Hoya at the University of Illinois. Originally the cutting was variegated (white on the edges), but as it grew, it lost that variegation and became an attractive jade color. For about 6 years or so, it lived at my parent's home, then came with me to my dark, north facing office, then to my southwest facing apartment, and finally, my parents' home again. That 2 inch cutting I started with became a plant that exceeds three feet and thrives. Hoyas love warm temperatures, bright light and some moisture, but they'll tolerate dark dry rooms as well as bright humid rooms. The flowers are beautiful but I've only seen them bloom under greenhouse conditions.
When I started running out of space on my windowsill last week, I knew it was probably time to drop off some of the kids with the grandparents, so to speak. My mom nearly always has room for another plant, though I don't know for how much longer. Whenever they decide to move, I won't be able to rely on them to take care of my plants and I'll have to learn true restraint. Which brings me to the topic of the day:
Learn to let go
I'm not sure if you've heard of the 5 Rs of Recycling, but it's an idea you should take with you beyond the trash bin.
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Repurpose
and Recycle
Refuse - I've been called a plant hoarder in the past, but I almost never take a plant if I know I don't have the room for it. I may try to make room, but most of the time I just abandon the idea. Think about exactly where that plant is going to end up and how much time you're willing to spend taking care of it before you take it home (whether it's free or not). If the plant is in the store and you have other business there, finish the rest of your shopping first. If you still want the plant when your basket is full, then get it.
Reduce - Sometimes you just find a plant you love and you can't imagine living (or leaving) without it. Sometimes you find 20 plants you love and can't imagine leaving without them either. If you find yourself with an armful of plants, look through them a few times, decide where they'll go and if you need so many. If you're trying to fill a hole in your life, your garden or on your window ledge, realize that your plant is going to grow and if you need to divide it next year, you're going to have to figure out what to do with another half of your plant!
Reuse - Let's just call this one ...
(Re)Move - Sometimes those houseplants make great summer annuals. Look up the hardiness of your houseplants and keep an eye on temperatures if you're planning to bring it back inside. If you need to divide your house plant, consider putting half of it outside for the season and letting that half die over the winter. You'll still have your house plant, but you'll have a little more variety in your garden bed too!
Repurpose - And this one we'll call...
Relocate - Find a friend or make a friend that wants a house plant. Split an old one or give away one that you no longer want to keep but don't want to throw away. College students often like houseplants. You might think I'm crazy, but having a plant can provide a sense of release and calm. It also provides an opportunity for a less experienced person to be responsible for a living thing. Make sure you tell them basic care instructions because a lot of people don't know how to care for plants. If you can't find someone to take your plant, you can always put a curb alert out on craigslist.
Recycle - I regret to suggest this option, but when it comes down to it, sometimes you just need to throw a plant away. Before you do throw that plant away, first...
Reconsider - If you're particularly attached to it, can you take cuttings or divide the plant to save space? Can you give the plant to someone - a friend, coworker, random stranger? Maybe you could press a leaf or flower and make it a part of an album of your former plants. How about you compost it, or, if you don't have a compost bin, ask someone that does. If you don't have any other options left, throw it out, but save the pot and the extra soil. You might be able to reuse those in the future.
Speaking for myself, it's really difficult to get rid of houseplants. They can help clean the air, provide a bit of relaxation, a sense of duty, a sense of nature, or a pleasant scent around the house. When you've had one for a particularly long time, it can certainly provide sentimental value, but sometimes you just have to let go and hope for the best.
It's much easier knowing that I can my visit my plants almost whenever I want than knowing that I had to throw them away, never to enjoy them again. It's more difficult than the accidental deaths that have happened in the past. It's harder than having to restrain myself in the first place.
So, let go. Give a good friend a plant that means something to you. They'll be more likely to think of you when they see it and you can rest easy knowing it lives on.
 |
| Variegated Hoyas aren't that unusual but they're beautiful |
Hoya carnosa, also known as wax flower, might be my favorite houseplant. Mine came from a cutting of a Hoya at the University of Illinois. Originally the cutting was variegated (white on the edges), but as it grew, it lost that variegation and became an attractive jade color. For about 6 years or so, it lived at my parent's home, then came with me to my dark, north facing office, then to my southwest facing apartment, and finally, my parents' home again. That 2 inch cutting I started with became a plant that exceeds three feet and thrives. Hoyas love warm temperatures, bright light and some moisture, but they'll tolerate dark dry rooms as well as bright humid rooms. The flowers are beautiful but I've only seen them bloom under greenhouse conditions.
When I started running out of space on my windowsill last week, I knew it was probably time to drop off some of the kids with the grandparents, so to speak. My mom nearly always has room for another plant, though I don't know for how much longer. Whenever they decide to move, I won't be able to rely on them to take care of my plants and I'll have to learn true restraint. Which brings me to the topic of the day:
Learn to let go
I'm not sure if you've heard of the 5 Rs of Recycling, but it's an idea you should take with you beyond the trash bin.
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Repurpose
and Recycle
Refuse - I've been called a plant hoarder in the past, but I almost never take a plant if I know I don't have the room for it. I may try to make room, but most of the time I just abandon the idea. Think about exactly where that plant is going to end up and how much time you're willing to spend taking care of it before you take it home (whether it's free or not). If the plant is in the store and you have other business there, finish the rest of your shopping first. If you still want the plant when your basket is full, then get it.
Reduce - Sometimes you just find a plant you love and you can't imagine living (or leaving) without it. Sometimes you find 20 plants you love and can't imagine leaving without them either. If you find yourself with an armful of plants, look through them a few times, decide where they'll go and if you need so many. If you're trying to fill a hole in your life, your garden or on your window ledge, realize that your plant is going to grow and if you need to divide it next year, you're going to have to figure out what to do with another half of your plant!
(Re)Move - Sometimes those houseplants make great summer annuals. Look up the hardiness of your houseplants and keep an eye on temperatures if you're planning to bring it back inside. If you need to divide your house plant, consider putting half of it outside for the season and letting that half die over the winter. You'll still have your house plant, but you'll have a little more variety in your garden bed too!
Relocate - Find a friend or make a friend that wants a house plant. Split an old one or give away one that you no longer want to keep but don't want to throw away. College students often like houseplants. You might think I'm crazy, but having a plant can provide a sense of release and calm. It also provides an opportunity for a less experienced person to be responsible for a living thing. Make sure you tell them basic care instructions because a lot of people don't know how to care for plants. If you can't find someone to take your plant, you can always put a curb alert out on craigslist.
Recycle - I regret to suggest this option, but when it comes down to it, sometimes you just need to throw a plant away. Before you do throw that plant away, first...
Reconsider - If you're particularly attached to it, can you take cuttings or divide the plant to save space? Can you give the plant to someone - a friend, coworker, random stranger? Maybe you could press a leaf or flower and make it a part of an album of your former plants. How about you compost it, or, if you don't have a compost bin, ask someone that does. If you don't have any other options left, throw it out, but save the pot and the extra soil. You might be able to reuse those in the future.
Speaking for myself, it's really difficult to get rid of houseplants. They can help clean the air, provide a bit of relaxation, a sense of duty, a sense of nature, or a pleasant scent around the house. When you've had one for a particularly long time, it can certainly provide sentimental value, but sometimes you just have to let go and hope for the best.
It's much easier knowing that I can my visit my plants almost whenever I want than knowing that I had to throw them away, never to enjoy them again. It's more difficult than the accidental deaths that have happened in the past. It's harder than having to restrain myself in the first place.
So, let go. Give a good friend a plant that means something to you. They'll be more likely to think of you when they see it and you can rest easy knowing it lives on.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
My Gardening Origins
Home tastes like fresh, warm, homemade bread, spread with butter and topped with a slice of fresh tomato or cucumber, sprinkled lightly with salt.
I was fortunate (in some ways) to grow up in the suburbs of Chicago with parents that grew up in rural Poland. My mother was the master of the garden and my father her dutiful assistant. The garden palatte would change but tomatoes, cucumbers and beets were regulars in the garden. Almost all our meals were homemade with fresh ingredients. We, sometimes resentfully, helped mom in the garden; turning the soil, planting seeds, watering, planting tomatoes, staking tomatoes and picking the fruits of our labor. We also, almost always resentfully, helped dad pick the cherries, gooseberries, black, red, and white currents. While I didn't love picking currents, I certainly can't deny what beautiful plants they are. As a child playing in the backyard, they became potion ingredients for use in magical lands.
I remember the plants that lived in our yard, at least the most common ones- hostas, roses, peonies and iris, with a smattering of other plants, including annuals like zinnias, geraniums, petunias and impatiens. Impatiens were my favorite. The exploding seedpods are enough to get any kid's attention for a few seconds.
As I got older, I became interested in plants, not for their beauty for their function. Herbs struck me as a good way to make some extra money and a good way to start a business. The way I saw it, money might not have grown on trees, but a method to make money grew on plants!
I was wrong.
I tried selling catnip to friends with cats. Who doesn't like getting their cats high? Apparently most people. The ones that did tried it once and lost interest.
That didn't stop me dabbling in herbs. I grew Mint and Lemon Balm. I tried thyme and oregano for a bit but the thyme died out over the winter and the oregano lasted a few years before vanishing completely. I continued investing in the garden with other plants and then in high school I had a moment. I was looking into a microscope at a slide of plant cells when the universe shook around me. I had an epiphany. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I wanted my future to include plants.
So I went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study Horticulture (with a focus in Science). I joined the horticulture club, became an assistant grower/grower and made some fantastic friends. I worked for a few years in the research greenhouses and at the plant clinic for a year. I worked with amazing people and fantastic instructors. When I left the University I worked for a time with some exceptional and intelligent people at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I had a garden and lost a garden. I made a few friends that I hope to meet up with again some day, but for now I am looking to the next part of my journey. I hope you'll join me.
I was fortunate (in some ways) to grow up in the suburbs of Chicago with parents that grew up in rural Poland. My mother was the master of the garden and my father her dutiful assistant. The garden palatte would change but tomatoes, cucumbers and beets were regulars in the garden. Almost all our meals were homemade with fresh ingredients. We, sometimes resentfully, helped mom in the garden; turning the soil, planting seeds, watering, planting tomatoes, staking tomatoes and picking the fruits of our labor. We also, almost always resentfully, helped dad pick the cherries, gooseberries, black, red, and white currents. While I didn't love picking currents, I certainly can't deny what beautiful plants they are. As a child playing in the backyard, they became potion ingredients for use in magical lands.
I remember the plants that lived in our yard, at least the most common ones- hostas, roses, peonies and iris, with a smattering of other plants, including annuals like zinnias, geraniums, petunias and impatiens. Impatiens were my favorite. The exploding seedpods are enough to get any kid's attention for a few seconds.
 |
| ...and sweet alyssum everywhere |
As I got older, I became interested in plants, not for their beauty for their function. Herbs struck me as a good way to make some extra money and a good way to start a business. The way I saw it, money might not have grown on trees, but a method to make money grew on plants!
I was wrong.
I tried selling catnip to friends with cats. Who doesn't like getting their cats high? Apparently most people. The ones that did tried it once and lost interest.
That didn't stop me dabbling in herbs. I grew Mint and Lemon Balm. I tried thyme and oregano for a bit but the thyme died out over the winter and the oregano lasted a few years before vanishing completely. I continued investing in the garden with other plants and then in high school I had a moment. I was looking into a microscope at a slide of plant cells when the universe shook around me. I had an epiphany. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I wanted my future to include plants.
So I went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study Horticulture (with a focus in Science). I joined the horticulture club, became an assistant grower/grower and made some fantastic friends. I worked for a few years in the research greenhouses and at the plant clinic for a year. I worked with amazing people and fantastic instructors. When I left the University I worked for a time with some exceptional and intelligent people at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I had a garden and lost a garden. I made a few friends that I hope to meet up with again some day, but for now I am looking to the next part of my journey. I hope you'll join me.
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