Showing posts with label marigolds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marigolds. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

my sprouts have arrived!


My sprouts came in the mail yesterday! one package of alfalfa and one of mung bean. This morning I began the sprouting process following directions I found here. I used a recycled spaghetti sauce jar and, a rubber band, and a pair of ill fitting pantie hose. I was hoping to document the process but my parent's camera is on the fritz.

In other news, something has been nibbling (devouring really) my marigold flowers. Rather them than my baby greens but I'm not sure that this isn't a bad omen for things to come. Mom looked up ways to keep pests out of your garden and apparently urine is a really good deterrent. If Dad isn't game, I may have to pee in a cup and sprinkle it around the garden. Urine is also really good for compost. Who knew pee had some many agricultural uses.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

signs of life

Yesterday afternoon, Daddy, Mom and I (plus Avery on my back for part of it) all worked out in the yard. Daddy built our hopefully rabbit proof fence out of chicken wire and plywood. There was an electric saw and and a staple gun involved. Around this fence I planted some marigold seedlings. I also have some marigold seeds to fill in the gaps. I also planted the herbs: cilantro and garlic chives and basil and more (!) lavender and something else I can't remember right now. Oh and sunflower seeds! Excited about those both for their beauty and their seeds, though I'm not sure how to harvest their seeds or if you have to have a specific kind to get the kind of seeds you can eat raw and sprout. The seeds in the packet, however, looked just like the kind you can eat so this may be promising. I also started the pepper and both types of tomatoes in a peat tray. The tomato seeds had some sort of white coating on them that I hope isn't pesticide.
While Daddy and I got dirty, Mom started the process of painting some dining room chairs. It was nice for us all to be out in the sunshine being busy.
While Daddy was putting the fence around the plot, he noticed that MY GREENS HAVE SPROUTED! They are just the tinniest little green sprout in the whole world but there they are. I planted them and now they are growing! I'm amazed! This was great encouragement and also incentive for the fencing seeing as it's like Watership Down in our backyard. This morning when I took the compost out to the bin, I checked on them and they have grown a little bit more! Huzzah!