Last night I planted lavender seeds. I planted two kinds--English lavender and Blue Hidcote lavender--with the idea that at least one type will make it. This is my first attempt at growing something from seed, so I kept it simple--egg cartons, soil, seeds. After planting the seeds just below the surface of the soil, I wrapped the cartons in plastic bags and hid them away in a refrigerator drawer. They'll get a nice 4- to 6-week chill before I start giving them water and sun.
I'm nervous already. I've got such big hopes for these tiny seeds. I've imagined an herb garden just out the back door, where the lavender will share space with basil, peppermint, spearmint, sage, and lemon balm. It will be a kitchen garden filled with herbs I can cut for dinner or tea. Then there's the front porch, which I've decided needs a border of lavender plants. On humid summer days the scent of lavender will hang in the air, making the front porch the perfect perch for sipping lemonade and reading books.
Last night the weather was unseasonably warm at nearly 70 degrees. The promised thunderstorms never came, so I put on my galoshes and puttered around my muddy backyard. We didn't buy our house for its land. The small backyard is tangled with overgrown bushes and slick with muddy dog paths. There are also moles, along with the tunnels and holes that they make. Turning the yard into my dream vegetable, herb, and flower garden will be a challenge. I started with the overgrown bushes, cutting, tearing, and stomping down their dry stalks. I made only a little progress last night. Still, I'm starting to see where the compost pile might go, where I should plant the blueberry bushes, and where my lettuce bed will be. It's a start.
* * *
P.S. I'm excited for the Sugarbush Festival, which runs this weekend and next. If you're close enough to go, you should. There's a pancake and waffle breakfast with all the syrup you can handle. I always stock up on my year's supply of maple syrup at the festival.
How exciting! I'm jealous of the 70* weather - so nice! I just started a few asparagus seeds & quite a few paste tomatoes from seed; every year it's always a wonder to me that they survive & pop their little green heads up to the sun :)
ReplyDeleteYour gardens sound gorgeous - I can't wait to see how they develop. Congrats on your early start of your yard, too, that will be nice when spring comes & you're anxious to get seeds in the ground. :]
Isn't it nice to have a home with a space of your own to grow what you want! The lavender seeds are so cute...I hope they grow well. ♥ Maybe we'll try growing some here, too. The lettuce is what we'll be planting first, probably next week. I never heard of getting asparagus seeds, but getting a clump instead....which I would like to do!
ReplyDelete