Green Thumb

We're having ourselves a little heat wave (it's been in the high teens (Celsius) for a week now - but remember this is Canada in March, we should be close to zero) and the kids are on march break. These two things together are giving me Spring Fever.  It makes me want to go outside, spend money, go on vacation and plant seeds.

I'm not much of a gardener. I love flowers and I love eating fresh fruit and veggies and I even enjoy planting but I'm not a fan of weeding and other maintenance that goes with it.

Earlier in the week I bought an indoor greenhouse/starter kit. It's got the little soil pucks and tray and I bought seeds to plant with the kids: tomatoes, watermelon, lettuce, carrots, peas and beans.

I'm not totally new to the world of veggie planting. Many moons ago when I worked in school age room at a daycare we planted a veggie garden each year. It was always the same: peas, beans and lettuce. And we always planted a border of marigolds around the edge to keep the grubs away.

It did well, our little garden. One year we had enough lettuce that the cook was able to make many salads for lunch for the centre. The peas and beans, they grew and the cook used those too.

I tried planting corn in our backyard once. It didn't work. I tried planting carrots. We got a carrot. It was super tiny. I can still  rock the peas and beans, but then I think any idiot can grow peas and beans.

At any rate, we've got our little garden planted now and sitting on the window sill in the living room. The lettuce, peas and beans are growing. Nothing from the carrots, tomato or watermelon yet. If by some miracle they are still alive at the end of May I'll transplant them outside to the new garden I'm creating. But if they aren't (which is the more likely scenario) I'll plant some new seeds in my new garden.

One can hope!