Everything changed when I found out I was pregnant. As impending motherhood raced towards me, I really thought about how my life would change- and what this new life would be. I knew that in so many ways, now was the time to create the life I had always needed. Knowing that my choices would influence my son, I knew I needed to live lighter and kinder.
This manifested itself in many different ways. I started buying the majority of our groceries organic and local. I ramped up my efforts to source fair trade items for our home. Getting fit was now a necessity. The next logical step seemed to be that I needed to start a garden.
Find out what's happening in Davisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
My main motivation for the garden was that my boyfriend and I had always both been picky eaters- having my first non-gag inducing experience with mushrooms at 18. Those mushrooms were life changing. I became a foodie extraordinaire, surpassing my parent’s palates and growing to love Thai, Indian, Japanese and Middle Eastern food. My parents (who are excellent parents!) had the hardest time with my sister and I growing up, and I knew that I couldn’t let my son live in the same way that I had.
Find out what's happening in Davisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy. Growing up, there are no words to describe my green thumb. It was non-existent. Even silk plants suffered under my care. My first year went well- I used garden starts from the Davis Famer’s Market, and only had to buy four before I was able to keep them alive. This year, I started everything from seed.
I made the pilgrimage out to Petaluma, to the Baker Creek Seed Co. in search of the finest heirloom seeds I could find. I was filled with grand illusions that the garden would explode with bounty, that my picky boyfriend and son would eat everything that I lovingly put before them, and I would effortlessly put my past to rest once and for all.
Sadly, it wasn't that easy. Seeds were planted in earnest, and forgot to be labeled. Much of it died, in part due to under watering. Tomatoes were certainly, for me, the easiest and most rewarding fruits to start with- and boy, do I have a lot to show for it! I've just started a new batch of seeds as a celebration of starting this blog. While it is still not an exact science, life rarely is. I hope you will join me in planting your own garden.
If you'd like to start your own garden, but aren’t sure where to start, keep reading to see how I did it!
My "kit" that I purchased includes a deep plastic tray, a riser, a felt pad, and the dirt pods wrapped in landscape cloth that get transplanted into the ground. I found this incredibly helpful because watering is the key to my failure. Every. Single. Time.
The felt absorbs water from the tray as the dirt above it dries, making sure that the seedlings stay nice and moist. I labeled each row with it's own number, taped the list above the light so as not to forget. Which brings me to the next part...
Now that the seeds are planted, you need a grow light. I originally started my first set of seeds in March, and it was pretty dark. My kitchen doesn't get a lot of light anyway, so I knew I needed a grow light. I've seen expensive set ups, but I wanted something simple and -because I am me- adorable. I settled on the vintage library light. This works extremely well for me. It is important to make sure that the light is close enough to the seedlings (roughly 10-14 inches) so that they develop a strong stem. The closer the light is, the less that they need to stretch and reach for it. As you can see in the photo, I have my seed tray resting on a rarely used cookbook.
Once you add the water, the name of the game is waiting! Thankfully, my seeds started sprouting after only 24 hours- I hope yours do the same!
If you enjoyed my blog, please visit me and let me know how your garden is growing!
Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/hopechesthome/boards/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hope-Chest-Home/167636666583025)