One flat of seedlings transplanted into three flats of cell packs.  And each flat now holds 36 baby plants.  Wait, you say!!!  That’s 108 tomato plants!!!  Of course we won’t plant them all into OUR garden.  In fact, we only plant about 30.  So why do I plant so many seeds?

 

The answer is this:  

 

1)  It’s really hard to plant just 5 seeds of each variety.  What if they don’t germinate?

2)  It’s really easy to plant 15 seeds of each variety.

3)  Not all of the seeds are viable, especially older ones.  This way I can hedge my bets.  If I plant 15 seeds I should get at                least 6 good, strong seedlings (enough for one cell pack). As you can see on the bottom left, I only got 11 good seedlings.  

4)  Seeds have a life span, and packs of seeds usually have more than we can use in one season.  
5)  AND…we have lots of neighbors and friends who plant tomatoes.  So whatever we don’t use, somebody else will.

 

This way we can get them started and everybody gets to grow their own.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!! 

 

Here is my flat of tomato seedlings.  I sowed about 15 seeds each of 9 different varieties.  

 

These seedlings are about three weeks old.  I transplanted them into cell packs on Thursday.  We ended up with about 12 strong seedlings of each variety.  And when it’s time to put them into the garden, we will choose the strongest ones.  We still have two months to go til then, so they will live under the grow lights in the basement.  And when the weather is warm enough they can go outside each day for sun and fresh mountain air.  

 

I am reluctant to plant tomatoes into the garden until after the frost date, May 15th.  It would be so sad to work this hard, and then lose the whole crop to an early spring freeze.  So we just wait patiently.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look!!!  These are seedlings for that fabulous Savoy cabbage that we grew last fall.  It was so good, I planted 12 more seeds and got 12 strong seedlings.  This is just one day after transplanting, and they are already bigger.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

Here are some of the transplanted seedlings.  They should be ready to go into the garden in a few weeks.  

 

We ended up with 6 flats of six-packs.  I picked out the strongest seedlings to transplant, and had quite a few seedlings left over.  Jon trimmed off the roots and put them in water to soak:  microgreens for our sandwiches.  Nothing goes to waste.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

These are two of the flats that I planted on February 20th.  And as you can see:  it’s time to transplant!

 

This is so exciting!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

We saw Bloodroot starting to bloom at the Park.  It grows close to the ground, so you have to look for it.  But it is so bright and cheery, it almost jumps up to be noticed.  

 

The flowers last a week or so, but the leaves keep growing all season, until they are 5 or 6 inches across.  We love seeing Bloodroot in bloom.  There used to be some on the Creekside Trail, but I haven’t seen it for a few years.  Maybe we can check next time we’re on the Trail.  I hope you get to see it.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The Weeping Cherry trees at Meeks Park are in bloom.  These are near the entrance, by the pavilion.

 

Go soon, because they have been blooming for a few days, and they don’t last long.  But totally beautiful for the few days they are in bloom.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

This is early this year too.  Our Redbuds are just starting to bloom.  Last year the flower buds got zapped by the late frost in April.  But it is truly gorgeous this year.  

 

We planted this one (purchased from Nelson’s Ace Hardware) in 2006 or 2007.  A few years later several seeds flew across the driveway, and planted themselves.  One landed in the most perfect spot, so it got to stay.  The newer one is nearly as big as the original tree, and they flank my driveway, being gorgeous every Spring.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

We drove to Blairsville yesterday, and saw lots of the early Spring bloomers blooming!!!

 

We saw Forsythias, daffodils, Bradford Pears, and these beautiful Magnolias.  This is Magnolia soulangeana, or Saucer Magnolia.  It is a deciduous Magnolia, and blooms before the leaves come back.

 

This one is in our very own neighborhood, so be sure to notice it when you are driving on Five Forks Drive.  

 

HAPPY ALMOST SPRING!!!

 

Here are the trees at the entrance.  SO pretty!!!

 

HAPPY DAY!!!