Planting Seeds & Granddaughters

Of course I can start by saying… my granddaughter is the smartest cutest 10 month old on the planet. I will elaborate on this further down. I might even say it a few more times.

See.

OK. Now about planting.

It should be spring. I want it to be spring, therefore it should happen. Weekend before last I was lured by the bulb bin at Lowes. It was calling my name. “ Ginger…buy Dinner Plate Dahlias…”Trying to convince me it was time to plant things. It worked, sort of. I was convinced but not stupid. I bought them knowing I would store them for a few more weeks in case of snow, which of course happened 4 days later, about 5” of the cold white stuff. I mean really what if I waited and they were all gone???? I try to pay attention to impulses when shopping. (I mean if items are speaking to me directly.)

Dinner Plate Dahlias are really awesome. The flowers are the size of a dinner plate… (hence the name)

Picture courtesy of http://www.directgardening.com/

Husband was a good sport as I loaded up the cart….OK so I should preface this with the fact that most things I plant don’t live. With one glaring exception I had very good luck growing kind loving productive kids so I can’t complain too much about the plants. After the last kid left last year I started watching “Desperate Landscapes” http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_ddsl/episode/0,3110,DIY_28996_51320,00.html

I decided to try again with the plants before someone nominated me…. So far I think the pine trees are going to make it and my lavender looks viable still. We’ll see if the apple tree sprouts leaves this spring. Right now it looks similar to most everything else in my winter landscape. Like a big stick. I have to say husband is learning that there are some benefits to humoring me in these endeavors. He scored a Yard Machine lawn tractor with more attachments than a food processor…..including a snow shovel that can also move dirt. However, he did find out you really need chains for the beastie or it doesn’t push snow anywhere.

So that was last weekend. This weekend I decided to maybe rush things a little. I have this huge corner computer desk in the dining room that really has just been collecting stuff since I got my laptop. I was going to move the computer into the French room and give the desk to my son who has been begging for it for a while. Of course now he has no room for it….grrrrrrr…. So I did move the computer and threw away most of the collection of junk around it and….the desk is now the plant stand!

I bought a new light fixture with 5 adjustable heads and filled it with grow lights. (Holy smokes grow lights are expensive…Husband was a VERY GOOD SPORT.)My daughter in law said if I put too many grow lights in I might expect a visit from the local gendarmes. I’ll be happy to show them my sprouting tomatoes and hopefully some Dahlias. They didn’t come to visit when I had 20+ 150w floodlights keeping baby chicks warm…

I went to http://www.dahlias.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=2#15 and checked to see if Dahlias can be started indoors… YIPPEEE!

I also scored a 72 starter flat. (OK I just bought it but scored sounds so much better…) some seeds for tomatoes, Oregon Spring, http://davesgarden.com/, Sweeties (Cherry) http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=5883&cid=ppp000133 and Urban beefsteaks http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/118362/

I also got going some cilantro, basil (Italian Large Leaf) , Johnny Jump Ups and Coneflowers

Now back to the granddaughter. (The smartest cutest 10 month old on the planet.) As I was planting these seeds I was thinking about being a grandma and the joys that come with it. Next year she will be twice her age and twice as smart and cute and therefore able to enjoy this planting time with me. I can see her little fingers pushing seeds into the squares of the starter trays. Then we can watch the little things sprout up together. (She will have a little brother or sister by then and probably welcome some alone spoiling time with Grandma.)

All that hard work and nice thoughts about my Granddaughter earned me a glass of wine. I finished the Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling. Next week I’ll let you know if anything sprouted besides my imagination.