Small Space Garden, Stage 1

Ya'll, we just cannot wait until we have a home with a big fat lush yard, so we can make plots to grow vegetables and herbs, but alas, we just re-signed with our apartment complex.  So for now, we have to learn how to grow what we want in a small space.

I picked up this book to teach me a little about planting and organically growing everything in pots, cans, etc.

It is spectacular.  If I could have described exactly the information I was seeking for our apartment garden, this book would have completely covered it and then some (it's full of recipes too)

Ms. Trail describes each plant's favorite environment, container, sun exposure, watering preference, and anything else these Prima Donnas might need or want.

Oh what the hay.  Let's do a giveaway.  Comment on this post and tell me about what you have planted this season.  If you haven't planted anything, you are lame (sorta kidding), so tell me why you have chosen to make multiple trips to the grocery store's herbs and produce section instead of planting things to have at arms reach whenever you please.  I'll pick one comment at random to receive a copy of Grow Great Grub.  Giveaway ends Thursday, March 18th at 12:00pm central time.

Moving on.  Last night, DC and I did stage 1 of our garden planting.

Hokay.  So.  We bought these biodegradable pots, organic potting soil, and whatever seeds we wanted.  The little pots are excellent because you can plant them right in the container you plant to keep the herbs in later.  No need to transplant.  I have also heard of people using egg shells for the same reason.  I am sure there are plenty of different ways to do it.  We filled up each pot leaving about 1 1/2 inches from the top.  Then we put the seeds in according to the directions on the package, and covered with the appropriate amount of soil on top.  Make sure you read those directions.  Not every seed is planted the same way.

I did a little bit of research, and this is the organic fertilizer we chose.  You mix it with water according to the instructions, and just water your plants as you normally would.  We put our tray of seeds up by a window that we know gets medium sunlight throughout the day.

This fertilizer is to be used every 3 weeks, so our seeds will get their next juice fix about a week after we plant them in their permanent homes.

For the life of us, we could not find mint seeds.  We went ahead and got a pot of mint and planted it, hoping it will spread and grow into a huge bush of deliciousness.

So, this is what we have sprouting:

Oregano

Cilantro

Peppers

Tomatoes

Chives

Onions

Sweet Basil

and Lavender for my migraines

and the mint plant

It will take about 14 days for our seeds to be ready for pots.  If our garden doesn't work, I totally take back the comment I made about frequenting the grocery stores being lame.  If it does work, I still mean it.