Thinking Green

I've spent a good part of this Saturday morning of St. Patrick's Day Eve listening to Celtic and Irish music thanks to my friend Elizabeth who, through a Facebook email, sent me on a wild goose chase to track down an instrumental Irish song of which neither of us knew the name and only one of us knew the song by ear. It was eventually found and left me with the want to continue to listen to the music to further the spirit of the holiday. Thanks Liz!

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, it has always been one of my favorites because of what it symbolizes for me. Green. The turning of the seasons not being far around the corner. The first new green growth of the up and coming spring. Now today in Michigan we have about an inch of snow on the ground but my hopes shall not be dashed! I have my own bit of spring in my garden window that is green and growing nicely. Here are some updated pictures. These are all seeds I had planted a week ago today and include the broccoli, cauliflower, and lettuce. The onions, rosemary, and lavender have all yet to sprout but that is to be expected as they take a bit longer.

Right now my biggest worry for these seedlings is hoping they get enough light so they don't stretch and become "leggy" and the eventual heart break of thinning them before they get too big. I know they are just small leaflets but it's always an emotional process killing them off to make more room for the others.

I should also mention that on Thursday I went and picked up 4 55 gallon barrels. They cost me $15 dollars a piece for a grand total of $60 dollars. I have to thank my neighbors/friends Chris for letting me use his truck to go pick up the barrels. There was no way they were going to fit in an Impala or a Mini Van. (Your payment of beer is still coming, no worries). Also to Jon for a future thank you as he is taking me under his wing in the next few weeks and helping me get all the supplies and set up required to re-purpose them into actual rain barrels. No gardener or farmer was ever successful without a little help from others and the same goes for myself.

There they are. My bright blue barrels. I'll take another picture in a few weeks when they are all set up and ready to go.

I was thinking of starting my red bell peppers and cayenne pepper seeds today but I think I will hold off until next week as the weather is suppose to be cold (20's and 30's) for the next week or so and these plants are best germinated at higher soil temps into the 80's. If the daytime highs are into the 40's then that is achievable from the heat generated in the garden window (I checked soil temps this past week when it was in the 40's) but I fear before that I would just be wasting and possibly rotting away my seeds anyway. One more week won't kill me :) Patience, right?