Garden seed 2013

 

Yep, I bought garden seed already.  I get so excited when those seed catalogs arrive in the mail!  I'm happy to see that seed companies are offering more seeds for container growing.  Last year, I had great luck with the plants I grew in pots.  I'm planning to grow more container plants this summer, although I'm a little worried that the drought might lead to water-use restrictions in my town.  Container plants need to be watered at least once a day in the summer heat.  But I'm hoping for the best and that the drought will end this spring.

I would like to grow more flowers this year.  I saw dwarf sunflowers at the Iowa State Fair's Master Gardeners' plot, and I want to try to grow them at home.

Burpee Seed Co. is offering sweet corn for container gardening this year!  I've always wanted to grow sweet corn, but don't have the space.  I can't wait to see if these seeds will actually grow!

Something else I've always wanted to try, a dwarf melon variety that you can grow in a pot.  I might actually plant these in my little garden rather than a pot.  I would love to grow melons in my backyard!

And one more from Burpee, a new winter squash variety for container gardening.

And then after visiting the White House kitchen garden last fall, I've been wanting to grow scarlett runner beans.  I don't think these are edible, but the purple-flowered vines gave the White House kitchen garden a beautiful "cottage garden" look.  So I'm going to try these at home, maybe with a teepee-shaped trellis.

The rest of the garden seed that I like to grow -- like marigolds and zinnias -- I'll wait to buy until spring, when they're a little cheaper.  I'm willing to pay full price, and shipping, when it's a seed variety that's difficult to find locally.

Have you bought your 2013 garden seed yet?  What are you looking forward to growing this year?

Flower power countdown: Week 1

My hubby gave me the coolest, most unexpected gift for Christmas this year. I am now the proud owner of an AeroGarden!

To be honest, I'd never heard of these contraptions before. My husband discovered a sale on AeroGardens through an online deals forum (he does all his shopping online). He knows that I've been looking wistfully out the window at my snow-covered backyard, counting down the days until I can finally dig my hands in our little garden again. Here's hoping that the AeroGarden will scratch my gardening itch until the spring thaw.

A quick browse through the AeroGarden Web site got my heart a-fluttering over the indoor gardening possibilities. I can grow herbs, flowers and even vegetables (!) in these little soil-free wonders. My mini AeroGarden came with a pack of flower seeds.


All I had to do was drop the seed pods into the holes, fill the aerated tank with water and turn on the grow light, which runs on a self-timer. Ridiculously easy! The plastic covers act as mini-greenhouses to promote seed growth.

Even more amazing, the AeroGarden lights up when it needs to be refilled with water or a fertilizer tablet.

I've placed the AeroGarden at my front entry table, so every morning and night I can check the seeds' progress. So far, not much is happening. But I'll keep everyone updated on my Flower Power Countdown throughout the winter.