This year (1997) I decided to try starting some plants from seeds. I've never done that before, so I had no idea what to try, and how many of each type of plant to start. To add to the confusion, I knew that we were going to make some changes to the yard this year, namely building a raised bed for growing veggies, and changing the front flower bed. So, I wasn't sure of the end size of space I wanted to fill up. I was going to try some annuals for the front bed, and some veggies and herbs. So, armed with a head full of confusion, I headed for the nursery.

Wow, I was totally overwhelmed by the selection of seeds. There were dozens of flowers, and bushels of vegetables, many of which I'd never heard of before. I stood in front of the racks staring at the pictures. I looked over the shoulders of the other shoppers (especially the ones with mud under their nails) to see what they were buying. I examined the backs of some packets, trying to make out the tiny print in the dim light of the store (they must think gardeners are afraid of artificial light). Finally I started picking up packets of the prettiest flowers, and before I knew it, I had a handful of them - surely enough seeds to sow several acres. I put most of them back, and finally settled on selection of annuals that I thought would fill up the front garden bed. Then I added some more for the hanging baskets that go on the porch, and some more for the various pots in the front and back.

Then, on to the vegetable section. I knew I wanted some tomatoes, both cherry and full size. That shouldn't be too hard. Only a mere 15 or 20 to choose from - yikes! I finally chose one of each that looked good. Then I only had to pick one of several carrot seeds, beans, and peas, and a few herbs. All in all it took me a good half hour to settle on what seeds to buy, and reading all that fine print left me with a major headache by the time I was finished. Lesson 1: decide what (and how much) you want to plant before going to the store.

..next..

1. My first time starting plants from seeds
2. Planting medium and schedule
3. Sowing the seeds
4. Light, sowing outside, and the final results

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