To Seed or Not to Seed, that is the question

I have many memories or starting seeds indoors, but no memories of actually transplanting anything. I either start too early and they die before I am garden ready, or I simply forget about the poor seedlings.

Well I once again have decided to try starting a few things from seeds indoors this year.

About two weeks ago, I purchased some wild flower seeds from and local and well known garden center. I plan on spreading them around my picket fence. From the garden center I was going meet my husband for lunch and then we would be off our local H&R block to get the deed done once again. Taxes that is. I was feeling good! Whether it was the promise of spring or hope of a rebate, or just maybe it was a little drunkenness by osmosis from the clerk and the garden center I am not sure, but feeling excited just the same.

Well as it happens we owe the IRS, quite a bit. So I guess I will get my kicks from gardening not windfalls.

I did plant some of the wild flower seeds in a plastic egg carton, along with a few other choices I picked up a day or so later. The flower seeds were a Rocky Mountain Wild Flower Mix, Burpee yellow pear tomatoes, sweet spanish onions (utah strain), Burpees stringless green beans(bush), and two mixes of both sweet bell and hot salsa tomatoes, both from Burpee.

The flowers poked through with in a week. The peppers I also put in a plastic egg carton, but their sprouts were no were in sight.
I planted the beans, onions and tomatoes in empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls(cutting down the paper towel ones to size) This is a little trick I learned from my fave..."Jamie Oliver" Check out his book Jamie at Home page 128.

It has been a strange spring, snow storm after snow storm with a few sunny days in between. I must have started this project on the sunny days, because my egg cartons did fine on my kitchen window sill for a few days. Then the storms came and it became quite cold again at night. We have an old house, with single pane windows and I was sure they would not stand a chance if left there. In any other house hold this might not be a dilemma, simply put the containers on the counter for the evenings and return them to the window sill in the am. However, ours is a multiple cat house hold, one of which is very young and mischievious. She would get in them without a doubt. I know, I would put them in the oven until morning that would work. Actually it became and new discovery. There you have it, every kitchen in america has a built in grow light!