Aerogarden: Month 4

OK.  One last Aerogarden update for the year.  I'm down to the last two weeks of fertilizer packets, and then I'm going to put these Aerogardens away until December rolls around again.

Of the three herb pods, the thyme is the last one left.  It's actually been thriving now that it doesn't have to compete with the dill.  It's grown bushy and tall.

I had to trim the petunias back a couple weeks ago because they got too leggy and were bumping up against the grow light.  I also was having a tough time keeping them well watered.  They were sucking up a bowl of water every two days!  When I couldn't keep up with the watering, the petunias started to wilt.  I still have one of the three petunia pods that's doing pretty well, thanks to the trim I gave it to promote blooming.

Hope you've enjoyed watching these Aerogardens grow over the winter months.  Now let's head outside and get our summer gardens ready!

Aerogarden: Month 3

 Well, it's been a fun couple months watching my little Aerogardens sprout and grow. I really appreciated these mini-gardens in the winter, when the nights were so dark and long.

Unfortunately, my Aerogardens are struggling at this point. I forgot to water the herb aerogarden a couple weeks back (for some reason, the time-to-water indicator lights don't work on my Aerogardens), and the dill didn't recover. That's OK, though. It turned out to be an odd variety of dill, not at all like the dill in my garden. My husband said the Aerogarden dill had little to no flavor when he cooked with it.

The petunias were supposed to cascade, but instead, they grew tall. My hubby said it was probably because they didn't get enough light, which makes sense, considering that I keep them in a rather dark entryway.

Even though they don't look so pretty now, it's still fun to see the Aerogarden seeds grow throughout the winter months. Now I'm looking forward to warmer days so I can get my early spring garden started outside. Right now, the temps are 30 degrees, a little cold for this time of year. But I hope to get a few seeds planted maybe next weekend. Wish me luck!

Wordless Wednesday: Aerogarden, Month 2

Almost Wordless Wednesday; Aerogarden

I intended to post this yesterday, but I got caught up watching a movie last night with my hubby and completely forgot until this morning.  So I hope you don't mind, but I'm posting these photos tonight. 

This is what my two Aerogardens look like one month after "planting" the seed pods. I'm growing herbs (thyme, dill and basil -- which failed to pop up) in one Aerogarden, and cascading petunias in the other.  It's been fun watching them grow whenever it's so cold and snowy outside.

Spring has sprung!

With all the traveling I've been doing lately, I haven't had time to do much of anything at home.  So I didn't make any cupcakes or bread this weekend. But I thought I'd share a few photos of something I haven't seen for months -- my backyard!

We've had rainy, 40 degree weather here in central Iowa for the past two weeks, and the snow, which has been at least a foot deep since December, is almost gone.  It's an absolutely muddy mess to have that much snow melt so fast, but nobody here is complaining.  We're glad to see it gone.

I could finally see my garden again.  In another month, I'll plant radishes, lettuce and carrots here.

My perennial garden is nearly snow-free, too. The first flowers to pop up will be the bleeding hearts.

My husband noticed right away that the ornamental cabbage I planted last fall is still bright purple, even after being buried under 3 feet of snow.  I need to remember to plant more of this next fall.

I'm also happy to report that my AeroGarden is doing remarkably well.  The plants have actually outgrown the container. 

And there are flowers blooming inside my house!

The herb garden also is growing like crazy.  So cool that I have a ready supply of basil, chives and thyme.

Just think, a few more weeks, and the chives will start popping up in my backyard.  Can't wait!

Joys of winter

We got another 6 inches of snow this week. This weather is beyond ridiculous.

Another huge icicle has formed on the opposite side of our house.

Possibly out of complete winter delirium, I decided to buy a second AeroGarden when I saw the little wonders on sale.  I'm growing herbs in my second AeroGarden.  And they are doing remarkably well.

 

 I ran into one snag, though. The aerator, or "bubbler," in the base of the AeroGarden isn't working.  I contacted the AeroGarden folks, and they agreed to send another base, no charge, no questions asked.  AeroGarden rocks!

My flowers are growing like crazy, too.

 

 Just a few short weeks, and I'll be planting seeds outside again.  But I wonder, how long will it take for 2 feet of snow to melt:

I think my garden is under there somewhere...

Snowed in

Is this the Arctic Circle? No. It's Iowa.

I took these photos while waiting for my work colleague to pick me at a Park & Ride for Central Iowa commuters. It was -14 degrees outside when I took these photos from the comfort of my pickup truck.

Today, I'm stuck at home again. Another snowstorm moved through last night, dumping 5 inches on top of the almost 2 feet of snow already on the ground. Today, the winds are so strong, the snow is drifting over the roads and creating "white-out" driving conditions.

Here's the lovely view from my front porch.

Brrr! And the view from my back porch.

My husband was in the middle of a home improvement project and didn't clean off the back deck before the snow arrived last month. The snow has really piled up on the deck.



At least I have my new AeroGarden to brighten up my house! The first sprouts appeared this week.





The Twinkle Phlox are a little slow, but I see a few sprouts poking up.

My husband has also taken his hobbies indoors. He's been spending a lot of time on his 75-gallon aquarium. He loves to grow plants in his aquarium.

There are a few tetra fish swimming around his tank, although he needs to restock it with some more plant-friendly fish.

Boy, it's hard to take a picture of a moving fish!

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.