the seeds of today

Here in western PA, the weather is a bit dramatic. One day it's 60s and sunny- the next we have snow flurries. Even though it snowed on my birthday, two days later, the snow has all melted. It is April and we are used to this craziness.

I continue to look forward to warmer temps and the day I can finally wear my Birks outside without the fear of getting frostbite. In preparation for such days, my husband and I have been seeding vegetables in the basement. (I would absolutely LOVE a greenhouse, but that's just a dream...)

Certain vegetables take longer to germinate and also require the soil to be at a warmer temperature. We have a small heat mat and a light for the little seedlings to grow properly.

It may seem a bit late, but we generally direct seed and transplant around Memorial Day weekend. Frosts can come later than you think around here. It's better to be safe than extremely sad and frustrated.

We've started peppers, celery, tomatoes, onions and snapdragons. This morning I started seeding cabbage, broccoli and kale.

Onion seedlings

My husband heard from a coworker that in 1816 and 1916 there was a frost every month of the year. What will it be like for the Summer of 2016? Hopefully not that. People are calling for a hot, dry Summer. That's good news if you're raising hay; for vegetable grower? Not so much.

Last year, we had a stretch of hot, dry weather and our cauliflower didn't head. That was a bummer. On the other hand, we had a great crop of tomatoes, beets, beans and broccoli. Something is going to grow in abundance and another will be a devastation.  You have to take the good with the bad.

 

For now I'll nurture these little guys

and think of warm sun and fresh veggies.

"All the flowers [and vegetables] of tomorrow
are in the seeds of today."
<3