Garden Project: Starting seeds indoors

My first thought when I saw the big yard around our new house was - I can have a garden!! My mom always maintained a fairly large garden every year growing up. I remember her getting us to help weed, during which we whined and protested being made to work so hard. (...) Also we tried to get her to pay us. It was hot and mosquito-ey and we would rather be playing and climbing trees! But, of course, we were the first to enjoy tasting the first little cherry tomatoes, the baby carrots and the cute little cucumbers right off the vine. Am I ever thankful that my mom included us in the growing process (albeit somewhat against our will) because I learned to appreciate where food comes from, especially food that you've grown yourself. Can't get much more local than that! I can't wait to try it out and see what we can grow. I would love to have lots of fresh veggies in the summer/fall and try to preserve what I can for the winter.

Here are the seeds I bought:

I got them from the Feel Good Store on Germain St. uptown. Hope Seeds is a local seed harvester and provider, and all the seeds here are organic. You can also order from their seed catalog - cheaper if you are buying in large quantities.

A good start!

It is just amazing to me that all these little seeds will grow plants that make food. Just look at these tiny little suckers - in a couple months they will yield big plants with hundreds of delicious cherry tomatoes. I am in awe of my God who is so creative and industrious!

So I have started a couple seeds indoors, because our Northern summer is just too short to help some plants grow well. I started tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers and basil in a cute little coconut fiber seed starting tray that my mom bought me.

Not even two weeks after planting them, here they are all popped up bright and green and ready to rock! Of course the tender love and care that I have lavished on them has probably been very encouraging. I try to make sure they are always watered and have lots of sun - although I still doubt there is any place in my house with enough sun for these guys.

Here is a bright little cherry tomato plant - small but mighty!

A little baby hot pepper plant... turns out these guys like it hot! They needed to be in a warmer room and took about an extra week to sprout.

My handsome little basils sprouted like champions. Pretty much 100% of the seeds I sowed came up. I can't wait to enjoy these bad boys on the tomatoes with some nice balsamic vinaigrette! Oooh and maybe make some pesto...

I'll keep you posted on the progress of my little plant babies. It's all very exciting.