Seasons 2014 - The View Outside; The View Within

Last Thursday night a foot of snow fell upon us, and our backyard lit by a streetlamp looks much like a snow globe.  By morning, the trees were thick with snow.

Beautiful, but now challenging: Where to put more snow?  In all the years we have lived here, we have never seen the snow this high in our yard, covering the raspberry bushes and completely hidden in this photo are the cold frames under what is now 2-3 foot drifts of snow.

I am standing in a narrow path to the front steps, and behind me the plum tree is half submerged in snow.

The view inside, however, is green and warm.  Here are cabbages and Brussels sprouts, now transferred to small pots in the greenhouse. 

Here are tomato plants transferred to their larger pots.  All growing well, getting larger and stronger by end of February.

Need to get more potting soil for transplanting the eggplants later this week.

Seasons 2014 - A Visit to the Conservatory

On this sunny February day, a visit to Como Park Conservatory was just the remedy for winter blues.  But first, take a look at the little greenhouse making great progress in my dining room.  Plants are now large enough so I thinned them to the strongest ones.

Now, to the Conservatory's show of orchids, lilies, azaleas, and amaryllis.

Seasons 2014 - Catching Up, February 8, 2014

Since last post, we made our seed choices, and I placed our order with Jung.  A few weeks later, I received the little packets by mail and started some early seedlings in our indoor greenhouse. Below are the tray and styrofoam foundation of the Bio-Dome kit from Park Seeds.  

I planted heirloom tomatoes (including Mr. Stripey), eggplant varieties, broccoli, baby cabbages, Chinese cabbages, and Brussels sprouts seeds.  The cabbage, Chinese cabbage, brocolli, and Brussels sprouts seeds look very much alike; cabbage seeds are shown below.

Place 3 seeds into the openings in each planting medium, then add water to the tray.  The Bio-Dome keeps the medium evenly moist.

All planted and ready to go into the greenhouse now.

The heat mat under the tray keeps the seeds warm, promoting germination.

The Bio-Dome keeps the heat and humidity high inside, and the greenhouse is ready to begin.

Just a few days after setting this up in the greenhouse, the seedlings have started.  

It has been below zero just about everyday through January and into February, but inside the greenhouse and Bio-Dome, it is as warm as a summer day.

All the rest of the seeds will wait until May for planting directly in the garden.  For now, this year's early seedlings are getting a good start indoors.