Although garden nurseries are closed, I am bound and determined to start growing plants for the short summer season.  Fortunately, the other day, I came across some seed packets at a local grocery store.  Now that the temperature is reaching up into the 50s, it is time to start growing seeds.

Now, having said that – I do not have the best track record of growing plants from seed.  Unless it’s a sunflower or some other giant seed that is pretty much fool proof.  Hello zucchini seeds!  Remember me? Alas cosmos, zinnias, basil, and cleomes have not been very successful.

Further, our yard faces north on one side and west on the other.  If you garden, you know that facing north means the plants gets very little sunshine.  Even with the western exposure, the shadows on the house keep the plants in shade most of the time.

So, I did some research on plants to grow from seed that don’t require a lot of sun and that generally are tolerant of cooler temperatures.

It is with great optimism coupled with a huge dose of realism that I am attempting to grow lettuce, cilantro and peas.

 

 

I soaked the seeds and planted them in these pots.  Hey,  Use what you have.  I was lucky enough to have some soil remaining from last year.

My goal is to have the seeds sprout inside, where the temperatures are warmer.  Then once the plants are a bit more mature, I plan to take the pots outside.

 

 

There is a quote by Audrey Hepburn: to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.  That quote pretty much sums up my thoughts about gardening.

Will the seeds sprout?  Will they survive and have vibrant lives outside?  Will they wither away due to lack of sunshine?  Will the deer outside think that I planted them a nice snack? I have no idea. Hey, nothing ventured – nothing gained.

Check back in the coming weeks and I will post an update.

This is what I offer to you. If I can grow these seeds successfully – you can definitely grow plants from seeds successfully.

Oh, and yes, I used some die cut hearts from Valentines Day as seed labels.  I figured these little seeds need all the love they can get.