Nesty: Godspeed, Little Herbs

Primulas in bloom!

These days, gardening is everywhere! On blogs, in magazines, in yards and now, on my counter.

You may recall that one of the nesting adventures I invited you to join me on was planting a garden. Said garden was planned for our old house, where we were allowed to dig in the backyard. Once we decided to move, a traditional garden plot went out the window, at least for this year. However, my heart is set on gardening, so I have decided to do what I can with what I have: I will have a container garden. In a couple of decorative containers gathered on my patio, I will be able to grow tomatoes, salad greens, and herbs.

And so to prepare for my container garden, today I planted some herbs. I had purchased a Jiffy mini-greenhouse complete with peat pellets, and some friends had given me some herb seeds, so tonight after supper I headed downstairs to get started.

Science in my kitchen!!!

I soaked my peat pellets and when they were ready, I gently placed 2 to 3 seeds on each peat pile and then lovingly covered them with peat. I labelled the rows, and then, when I was finished, I placed the lid on the greenhouse and carried them upstairs to the kitchen, where they will sit on a part of the counter that is both warm and out of direct sun. Eventually they will end up in the bright, sunny window in my living room, where hopefully, they will flourish into big, beautiful plants that will be placed in containers on my patio. Dreaming of fresh pesto and rosemary lemon roast chicken, I gazed down on my little sleeping seeds and wished them well.

They're going to need all the help they can get.

My Houseplant Babies!

I love plants and growing things, but sometimes, just sometimes, things don't go exactly as planned. It's been implied that I have, ahem, killed several plants. This seems harsh, as I have always done my best. Perhaps there's something to the whole "killing with kindness" thing. However, a few years ago, during our last summer at home, my husband and I grew a garden with fairly positive results. The herbs in particular did great! And more recently, I had a gardening success that buoyed my confidence and made me sure I could achieve a healthy, happy container garden. Back in February, our local grocery store was selling potted primulas. You know the kind, cute little plants with bright flowers that gets trotted out mid-Winter to bring hope of Spring to those of us in cold, snowy climates. The kind that you pick up and take home and then they generally die a few weeks later. Well, I bought three of these little pick me ups and promised them I would keep them alive. And so I did. I recently re-potted them (as they outgrew their original pots) and they have had several blooms of flowers. I was so excited when they grew new flowers! Since then we have picked up more houseplants and we are enjoying the addition of greenery to our home.

A few of my friends have been starting tomatoes and herbs from seed, and they have been photographing their progress. So I am going to join in and photograph my herby little charges and keep you up to date on the progress of my "garden." I promise to be honest, and if my not-so-green thumbs strike again, you'll be sure to know. In the meantime, please send good vibes to my newest little buddies, Mr. Chives, Miss Rosemary, and Ol' Sweet Basil, as well as the two slips of ivy I'm trying to get to root!