TransPLANTS

It's that time when I'm starting to transplant many of the more mature seedlings outdoors into their respective pots where they will (hopefully) grow and prosper this summer.

Last weekend I moved the marigolds, zucchini and yellow squash outdoors, and not a moment too soon. The zukes and squash were looking pretty peaked. Since being out over the past week, they have perked up a great deal and are bursting with fuzzy new leaflets. I think they're going to make it, despite being sprouted too early by their amateur mama.

The marigold has been spreading out and rising up like crazy. If he could talk I know he'd thank me for finally giving him more room to groove.

Then, mid-week I decided it was time to get the dill into a pot. He's now looking soft and happy.

Today I liberated the thyme and catnip. I should mention that earlier this week we had an "incident" with a certain huge feline deciding to take a promenade on top of my growing trays, all in the effort to get to the catnip. I came home from work and there were several smooshy pawprints in the soft dirt and several leaves of catnip missing, shredded, or on the ground. It must be a tasty variety...the cats will have to wait until I dry it to enjoy - patience kitties!

My tomato seedlings have been growing like weeds, literally. It's a beautiful thing to see how each variety has its own slight differences - now that they true leaves are coming in, there are pronounced differences. The Brandywine's leaves are flatter and less curvy and hairy than the smaller tomato varieties. I am going to do cartwheels if I can grow my own heirlooms this year.

In my transplanting frenzy, I moved the fish peppers, marconi peppers, and eggplants into the tomato tray. They needed to be separated so their roots wouldn't become too entangled. They all bore the move very well and are looking plucky.






In other updates, I can't get over the ethereal glowing purple color of the kohlrabi. It's finally starting to look like kohlrabi.














Lastly, my merveille de quatre saisons is also looking quite purpley and happy.





Now that it appears that my all my seedlings are going to make it, I'm starting to wonder what I'm going to do with all these plants. I wasn't expecting to have this much luck. My mom has already offered to adopt any plants that I don't have room for. She and my dad are planning on putting in a garden at my grandma's farm again this year. I also have an aunt who lives in Lima, OH who is planting her first garden this year. A friend of hers is an organic gardener and apparently he wasn't going to have the time to put a garden in this year. He offered her the opportunity and she jumped all over it. Maybe she would be interested in adopting some organically raised seedlings. Grown with love!