Dreaming of Spring

I've had spring on the mind, and more specifically gardening.  I'm so excited to starte our first garden at this house.  Right now spring seems so far away.  Since the frost has set in, and all our herbs have died off I thought this would be the perfect time to start an indoor container garden.  I've been saving some plastic containers from cottage cheese, sour cream, and fresh parmesan cheese.  I also won a little Chia starter herb garden from a game of White Elephant with my family on Christmas, that's where the little clay pots and saucers are from.  

I always have a stash of spray paint, so I picked a few colors to spray the containers with.  Then to ensure proper drainage I used a small nail, and hammered several holes into the bottom of the plastic containers.  

Then I filled the container most of the way with soil, and sowed the seeds over the top.  

I added a handful of soil over the top, and watered the new plants.  

I painted a few other containers, but I have to wait a little longer for them to dry.  I'll share photos when they show some signs of growth.  

I'm excited for all the fresh herbs I will hopefully have!  I love using fresh herbs in my cooking, and I can't wait to use my own plants.  Happy DIYing, chris!

Garden Update

Today I want to share with ya'll how my garden is coming along thus far.  It's been such a warm spring, so everything is growing like gang busters.  Did I really just say that?  Am I 70 years old?

 Two Purple Beauty Pepper plants.

Pepper plant from above.

 Mint and a two year old Douglas Fir.  Mint is super invasive, so it's important to grow it in a container, and not stick it directly in the ground.  We need to trim our mint, bad.

 This has lettuce, oregano, broccoli and thyme.  The thyme is clearly doing best.  This is it's second year, it came back all on it's own this spring.  We already have tiny broccoli heads!

Love how this pretty lettuce looks with the sun shining through it's supple leaves.

Broccoli from above.  This one is so big, but not head yet!

Thyme, parsley that is going to seed, kohlrabi, and a tiny bit of dill.  That thyme is everywhere!  We have a TON in a box out back.  I need to dry it out, and fill my thyme mason jar.

 Tomato plants on the steps.  Those black pots are called Smart Pots, they are made of fabric, and are quite possibly the best containers to grow in on the market.

This big wooden barrel Aaron got for free from work.  His boss at Pier1 was planning on throwing them away!

 Look at this amazing root system!  We had to break this guy out of his container to plant him in the above planter.

 We have nine heirloom tomatoes in this section of the garden!  Plus a bunch of lettuce, carrots, some spinach, and a broccoli.  We tried some swiss chard, but it doesn't seem to be doing too well.

One of the broccoli leaves.  Love the droplets, especially the ones running along the purple stem. 

That's our garden!  I can't wait until we can eat tomatoes freshly picked off the vine.  What is your favorite veggie to grow?  Happy DIYing and gardening, chris!  

Growing Ginger

I have this great book called Don't Throw It, Grow It.  It has 68 different windowsill plants grown from kitchen scraps!  Today i tried the directions for growing ginger.  I had some left over ginger that I wasn't able to use before it started growing.

Though you don't have to wait until your ginger is growing like mine to try out this simple DIY.

All you have to do is grab a shallow dish with drainage holes.  My holes are really large, so I used this piece of handmade cabbage paper to cover them up.  I tore off two pieces.

Then I placed them over the holes.

Next, I filled the dish up 2/3 of the way with regular soil, and then I placed the ginger on top of the dirt.

I watered the little guy.

Then I placed him under my grow light.  No photos of the lights, but I use two ikea FOTO aluminum pendant lamps with 65 watt compact fluorescent full spectrum photo bulbs.  I've had great luck with just one of these guys, and just recently up it to two lights.  

This is my little garden.  A Gerbera Daisy (in a DIY planter), an orchid (no clue what kind), some tiny cacti, and our newest addition the ginger!  

Happy DIYing! chris