Planting Happiness and Harvesting Lettuce

For many years we have bought already started plants for our garden. The past few years we have gotten better at starting the seeds ourselves. This year I would say 90% of all our plants are from seeds we started ourselves. I would not necessarily say you save more money by starting your own seeds. There are lots of costs you may not think about like containers, good soil, lighting, space inside your house to get started, cats that like to knock things over,  But I think the pros out weigh the cons and you can have more of a variety of seeds. We have some varieties that you can not even find in the big box stores. Four of my favorite seed companies are Bakers Creek Seeds, Territorial Seeds. Botanical Interest, and Hudson Valley Seed Company. I am a little addicted to the seed packets from Hudson Valley. They are little works of art. Their seeds are good too. I planted their edible flower packet in the garden and they are doing awesome. I even save the seed packs and use them to decorate as you can see below. This is over my little desk where I blog. Mr Ladybug took two canisters I bought at Goodwill and turned them into lights over my desk. Isnt he a handy fellow to have around?

When planting seeds we are like to two expectant parents. We look every day for the smallest little hint of a sprout. Then its time for your little sprout to get transplanted to a larger container and to get some fresh soil with more nutrients. Next you starting setting it outside to harden off and get acclimated to the outside. Once its warm enough for it to stay outside you have to make sure your little plant is watered then its time to move it to its permanent location in the garden where you have to keep an eye on it from pests like caterpillars, squirrels, bunnies and cats that like to hide in the vegetation in hopes of catching one of the pests but actually do more damage than the pests in the process. I really do love my crazy cat but he drives me bonkers.

I am not sharing all the info with you to scare you. Trust me its all worth it when you get that first bowl of salad greens in March or April.

This was dinner last night with rice seasoned with tarragon and sage from the garden, broccoli and chicken. Let not forget that beautiful salad which are all things from the garden. Three types of lettuce, horseradish leaves, chives, green onion and radishes.

We have learned  how to make things to keep the critters away and as far as the pests go when you get the caterpillars or aphids you will start seeing ladybugs and wasps in your garden that will take care of them too. Preying Mantis are great for potato beetles. Not all bugs are bad bugs. Unfortunately when we start spraying pesticides to get rid of unwanted things they also kill the good things. I have seen a few wasps on my lettuce when I am picking and they have never bothered me. There are not those crazy ones that like to build nests by your doorways.  Trust me when I say if you grow cabbage you want to see wasps eating the little caterpillars that will eat every stinking leaf on your cabbage plant.

I have a rose bush in my front yard that is probably over 30 years old. That particular plant is not that old its only about 17 years old. For several years when we first moved in we mowed over something that looked like a rose bush starting to pop up. One year I dug it up and planted it in the front yard. We built a trellis for it to grow up and it blocked our neighbors house. He was such jerk and looking at my roses instead of his stupid mean face was much better for my blood pressure. Luckily he moved!  Any way these roses have the most beautiful aroma. Not like those knock out roses you can get today. Last year I made rose water and it smelled so good but it doesnt last long, It can get rancid. Yuck! So I decided to submure some petals in vodka since I normally use vodka as my base for perfumes anyway. I am hoping to get a good supply of the rose for at least the next 8 weeks so I can do a double infusion and smell like roses all year long. After doing a little research I found out that rose tinctures are really good to take orally for different things. One of the thing was for sadness or grief. I thought that was interesting because think about  how you feel when you stick your nose into a rose to give it a sniff. They also so that its good for fevers, to clear toxins from your body and help with menstrual problems. So when my tincture is finished it looks like not only can I smell good but have covered my bases for all sorts of problems!