My Garden Update

I'm so excited.  Much of my seeds are growing even though they're doing so in secondhand potting soil.  There are surprises on the sad side (the sweet peppers apparently hate me and the sun and refuse to climb up out of their dirt bed), but for the most part it's going well.

The garlic is huge, and has gorgeous long roots.  I'm going to start hardening it off tomorrow.  The green onions continue to grow in their cup of water, which I appreciate, although part of me wonders if they'll eventually need nutrients that good soil provides.



The celery has popped up through the layer of dirt I'd sprinkled over the bits I'd planted, and looks a little like lettuce, while the onion continues to merrily grow downward in its temporary pot.

As for the seeds, the peas are a lovely 8-10 inches tall, and are going to need stakes soon.  Unfortunately, I have NO idea what I'm going to find for free to stake them with, unless I raid the neighborhood wood of kindling.  The tomatoes and hot peppers are about 2 inches tall and unfurling leaves.

Then, there are the sunflowers I started in water from some bird seed that I had from last year.  While in the water, they grew sprouts, and I planted the largest among them in some toilet paper tubes.  They haven't shown any signs of life yet, but it's only been a few days.

The pineapple is about the same, as are the house plants.  The volunteer morning glory is growing like the weed it is.

I'm pretty happy with this, but I need to start hardening them off because I'm going to Virginia at the end of next week to work (yay!), couch surf (which sucks), and help my friend put in a real garden (her first) using some of these plants.  I need them to be able to handle those cold nights because they won't get to stay in her house the way they stay in mine because there are no sunny windows.

The rest of the plants will lounge about here under the ministrations of my non-gardening (but very kind) husband, who promises to water them as long as I provide a schedule.  I'd like to have the garlic in the ground by then to cut down on what he needs to water.  Also, while down there, I hope to take advantage of the warm days and easy access to gardeners I know to get some other plants started for myself (for free).