Heralds of Spring

A quick-moving storm with high winds slammed through last night, leaving a large, dead limb blocking the driveway. Fortunately, I was able to move it by myself, unlike the last time that happened.

The weather is warmer, causing me to look outside at the many chores I want to do. A brief observation of the yard turns up daffodils in bloom! They seem to have appeared overnight. I hear the spring courtship calls of cardinals, red-shouldered hawks and spring peepers. The forsythia is bulging with buds. 

The Lenten Roses have not waited for Lent to bloom.

The greenhouse shelters the ever-growing zinnias, and I select additional seeds for starting: moon flowers. Moon flowers are similar to morning glories in that they bloom only for one day, but they bloom in the evening. The blooms are pure white about 4-5 inches across. When they start to open, you can actually see the bloom move. They will open in about 5 minutes.

Planting Seeds with the Children

The children got into the act this week with the seed starting. Last year, I prepared a little bed just for the grandchildren’s plants. It’s a great way to share time with the children and teach them an appreciation of nature. We grew sunflowers and ornamental gourds. This year they requested watermelons. So, I made the necessary preparations with the peat pots, and they came by to push the seeds into the soil. I also threw pumpkins and cucumbers into the mix. 

Here Max stands by the seeds he planted. Cecily, a friend of Max’s, does the same. Lucy was too busy with other activities to have her picture made. 

I continue to transplant the zinnias I started into the peat pots. The ones previously started are showing progress. The weather is warmer this week, and I am spending time outside raking some of the trails in the woods. 

Time for Action



The outside thermometer reads 25°. But I can approximate that reading by looking at the rhododendrons. The lower the temperature, the more tightly their leaves are rolled. The rhododendrons outside my bedroom window are decorated with beautiful red male cardinals. Look closely and you’ll see a couple of drabber females, too.

I’m getting serious about the seed starting! I get together what I need: small plastic dishes like a used butter tub. I punch holes in the bottom for drainage. I also need a soilless mix designed specifically for seed starting. I open the seed packages carefully, since some of the seeds can be very small. Sometimes the seeds can hide in the creases of the package. I place the soilless mix in the dish, add the seeds, and lightly cover them with additional seed starter mix. I water it in carefully, so not to disturb the seeds.

Then I place the tubs on an electric grow mat. An electric grow mat is similar to a heating pad in that it provides needed warmth to help the seeds germinate more quickly. Its heating coils are covered with rubber-like plastic so it will withstand some small spills of water. If you don’t have or want to purchase an electric grow mat, you can place the tubs on a cable box, being careful not to spill water or dirt on any furniture or the box. After I process all seeds, the wait begins to see the emerging seedlings.



In the meantime, I prepare the peat pots so they are ready when the seeds germinate. I open a package, place them on a plastic tray, and fill with regular soilless mix. I push the mix down gently to compact it and get rid of any unwelcome air pockets. Then I soak it with water. You would be surprised how much the water will compact the mix. After letting it absorb the water for several hours, I top it off with additional soilless mix so it’s level with the top of the peat pot.

Since I have bottom heating on the seeds, they start to germinate in a few days. You can then transfer the seedlings to the peat pots. The seedlings emerge very crowded, but I can tease them out individually with a toothpick and place each one in a peat cell. After I’m done with as many seedlings as I have, the seedlings look haphazard and messy. As they grow, they appear more standardized and face the same way.

Some of the amaryllis are starting to show leaves. I haven't spotted any blooms, yet.

Mark, a friend of mine, asked me if he could start seeds even if he didn’t have a greenhouse. I told him you certainly can! You can purchase a grow light with a stand to give the seedlings needed light. But you don’t have to have a grow light. You can place seedlings on your sunniest window sill. That may not be as effective because it would be several degrees colder than the inside air, but it’s certainly doable.

Preparing for Seed Starting

Early February is the time for starting seeds for spring planting. They need about 6-8 weeks to grow before time to put them out. I like to start seedlings that are difficult to find to purchase, but do well in our typically hot, dry summers. I also like plants that don’t need a lot of fussing or removing spent blooms (deadheading).  I have ordered a Magellan zinnia collection and Crystal White Zinnia from Park Seeds.  I have purchased cell packs to put the new seedlings in as they germinate.

In the meantime, I continue to observe the amaryllis for blooms. So far, all I’m seeing is the beginnings of leaves coming out of the top of the bulbs. But as the weather warms up, I’ll start to see bud stalks. Here are a few more cuttings from the greenhouse.