Spring Garden

We woke up to an inch of snow on the ground on Monday, but the c-c-c-cold weather is not going to stop me from moving forward with outdoor Spring projects.

Take that, snow!

We had a large garden when I was growing up, and while I hated weeding, I have fond memories of eating strawberry shortcake for dinner on the deck outside. My mom was trying to get rid of a huge surplus of strawberries. We didn't mind!

Is there anything like a ripe strawberry or tomato from your own garden? Nope!

I have been wanting to plant some yummy fruits and veggies in our small city yard for YEARS. But I haven't ever quite had the energy and confidence to get it started. I finally decided what the heck, let's give it a try.

Of course you can start with plants. Plant them in a garden with rich, balanced soil, good light, and water regularly. There you go. But it's cheaper to start with seeds. And I am cheap.

In our area, we typically have frost advisories well into May, so you don't want to plant outside too early (unless you take special precautions). With such a short growing season, it can make growing a garden tricky. But you can still start with seeds--give plants a head start by starting seeds inside.

So that's what I decided to do. I gathered a bunch of seeds, some dirt and containers (leftover egg cartons), and the kids. Then we put it all together.

Follow the directions on the seed packet for how deep to plant, how many per hole, and when to start them ahead of time (our packages recommended starting 4-8 weeks before the last threat of frost).

Here is the finished product.

And here is our sad, neglected, tiny side yard, which I hope to turn into a garden.

As you can see the left half gets full sun, the right half shade. What I'd love to do is turn the left half into a garden, the right half a walkway. It'd be cool if I could screen the air conditioner too, somehow.

And of course replace that hideous old fence.

The work never ends, does it?

I'll be linking to some fun blog linking parties. Check 'em out!