G.D.D.

" She considereth a field and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard." Prov. 31:16

Whew! My day has been spent mostly in our garden. I helped Dad and one younger brother build two raised beds with cement blocks, planted leaf lettuce and onion sets, and pruned our 5-variety apple tree. I can't wait to share pictures....later. For now, since I only have a short time to spend on the computer, I'll give an update on "my" marigolds.

Two weeks ago Dad gave me the assignment of planting a flat of marigolds. (A flat contains 50 planting cells.) These will be used in our garden when the weather warms - marigolds are excellent for the health of a garden; 'specially near tomatoes. They attract harmful bugs away from the good plants, yet they themselves are hardy and seem to stand up well under bug-attack.

Well, I planted three seeds in each cell, watered gently, placed a green-house-type lid over the flat, and set it on the top of our microwave in the kitchen. With the flat in plain sight like that, I knew I wouldn't forget to water the seeds. (On a side note - don't I have the nicest mother, to let me leave a tray of plantings in her kitchen like that?)

It took only three days for the seeds to sprout. I was so thrilled the morning I woke, went out to the sunny kitchen....and suddenly became wide awake when I spotted a green leaf in my flat!! Nearly half of the 50 cells have three seedlings in them. The other half has mostly two seedlings, and in two or three cells the seeds did not come up.

In the "Growin' Gardens" picture above, you can see my seedlings as they appeared one week ago. Since then they have grown about 1/3". I have started sitting them in the bright sun from a window during the day.

I have been giving my seedlings two cups of warm water every other day. Warm water does not shock the seeds like ice cold water would. I water by pouring the water underneath the planting cells, in the tray itself, and let the cells, which are made of peat, soak up the water a little at a time.

Right now, my head is spinning with all the ideas, tips, and other information I have read in the gardening books all around our house - Dad has quite a collection, plus we find great books at the library. ...That's not to mention the gardening catalogs that started arriving many weeks ago.

G.D.D. (Gardening-Desire-Disease) seems to strike our house every January, and keeps us in its clutches well into July and August (that's when the weeds seem to start winning the battle). I always purpose not the let the weeds get control this year! Good thing I can always try again. For as long as earth remains, seed time and harvest.....shall not cease....