The most remarkable thing has happened.
The seeds I impulse bought one Saturday at Lowe’s have sprouted.
As my three year old would say, “I can’t BEWEEVE it!”
It turns out, however, that I know absolutely nothing about gardening or seeds or growing anything at all. And now I have a load of leggy sprouts, wispy and reaching for sunlight. They’re a bit tangled, falling over themselves. Their stems are too long, their leaves not strong yet. This whole thing came about on a trip to the hardware store during which I impulsively bought paint samples because I keep thinking I'm going to paint my kitchen. And while I was being swept up by Sherwin Williams color samples, I came across the seed aisle and bada bing bada boom, here I am with all these gangly seedlings.
I over-planted the seeds; I kept them inside for too long. And now I am trying to give them enough sunlight to get strong enough to withstand the shock of transplant into real soil. I'm reading articles on companion planting and buying plant food and neem oil and, per my sole New Year's resolution, I am going outside, like all the time now. I will be absolutely shocked, shocked! I tell you, if one of these little plants produces anything at all. This seems to be the spring of throwing myself full force into things about which I know very little (see my french bread and croissant endeavors.)
As it turns out, seeds need somewhere to grow. So I’ve built a small garden to house all these little guys, and while it’s certainly not Ina Garten’s estate in East Hampton, I like to think that I’ve added perhaps a small corner of beauty to the world. And also a few more jalapeños.
I have to go pick up the children from school but please remind me to tell you about reading Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr last weekend.
Talk soon. Tell me what I need to know about gardening.
XOXO
Allison