Mini-greenhouse and a few seedlings

The large tubs of spinach that we buy at H-E-B are useful long after the spinach inside is gone.  I use mine to hold seedling pots, which makes it easy to move 6-8 around at one time.  They also double nicely as a mini-greenhouse for my peppers with little effort.  I poke holes in the four corners of two tubs using a knife, then I put one on top of the other and use binder clips to hold it together.  The holes on the bottom let water out, while the holes at the top let out excess heat.  The ambient temperature inside gets nice and warm and humid, and it doesn’t take too long to get the soil to the temperature that peppers love.   I have been letting the peppers sit inside on a window sill, but it is so nice today, I brought them out.

I have room for six seedlings in this tub.

The mini-greenhouse

I don’t let them bake in the direct sun all day – it does get quite warm in the greenhouse.  I open it up from time to time, or I just take it off after four hours or so.  Better yet, sitting on a window sill that gets part sun through the day seems to work just great.

I have a few other seedlings sitting outside today.  They’re enjoying the nice weather.  I also cut off a section of the oregano plant that had rooted and transplanted into another paper pot.  Yes, obtaining a new oregano plant is just that easy.

Sweet alyssum that I started from seed, is already flowering.

Mexican Mint Marigold started from seed. These will probably not bloom this year, but will be well-established for next year.

Oregano clone after three days.

Small triumphs are nourishment for the soul

It looks like the transplants are starting to take off now after a few days – the broccoli all looks to have survived the deeper planting and their stems appear firm.

A little added luck:  the only spinach plant that sprouted, which then got nibbled off by our tubby cat, also looks to have survived.

The lettuce needs to be transplanted from the starter kit, so I’ll do that tomorrow or over the weekend.  Meanwhile, I have lettuce transplants temporarily sitting in plastic cups awaiting to go in my mother-in-law’s garden beds.  I’m surprised at how quickly the lettuce transplants have grown over the past few days.  Although they are the same age as the plants in the starter kit, they’re easily double their size now that they’re in a larger container.  The roots on the lettuce plants still in the starter lit have escaped their cells and are snaking along the mat-wick.  Amazingly, I found roots going through the mat-wick to the reservoir below!  I’d say it’s time to transplant them!   Also germinated are several Verbena, Sweet Alyssum, and Mexican Mint Marigold (left 3 rows of starter kit).  I checked the flat of alyssum plants I had last fall.  It’s been sitting outside.  They’ all seeded and have since re-sprouted, so I gave them a good watering to help them along.

I’m pretty happy with the setup and with the results thus far.  I was worried about the broccoli, but I think it’s going to do just fine if not better now.

Plants and transplants

Transplants with rebounded broccoli

Lettuce transplants awaiting, well - another transplant.

The spinach stands alone - but at least it's still standing!

Lettuce roots

Morning in the garden

Each of these photos can be viewed large-size.

The color of this flower is striking and all the more beautiful with morning dew

I don't know what these are called, but I love the soft, fuzzy leaves

Looking down at one of the newest bean transplants

this tropical hasn't received the memo that it's November. i'm happy about that.

this catches the life and death of Lobelia

the green pepper plant has over twenty good-sized peppers

this broccoli plant is loving the cooler mornings

the alyssum is blooming incredibly - here you see an emerging flower

I love the close-up texture of the beans

no, this is not a candy mushroom, although it looks dipped in sugar!

Macro Monday

tender new mint leaves from a buried cutting

 

hover fly rests on sweet alyssum

 

 

morning webs on the lavender

 

among the carrots

 

buttercrunch lettuce

 

Macro Mondays at Lisas Chaos.com

Macro Monday – a day late

Yeah, that’s how I roll. A day late and a dollar short. At any rate, here are a few macro shots I took of mother nature this past Sunday. The honeybees were really loving the cuphea, with three or four bees feeding at any given time. I managed to catch a few pics of a butterfly as it landed to lap up the sweet alyssum nectar, too.

a winged friend visits the sweet alyssum