That might work. I've been reading instruction after instruction to cover with plastic. So I have been having good luck and fast germination sowing in McDonald's salad trays (the ones with the black bottoms and clear plastic tops). I mixed a little good potting soil in with the peat, but I don't think you have to do that. I pour hot water over it and let it sit until it cools. If you can squeeze water out of it, then you need to let it dry until it is just nice and damp. I set them outside in the shade now, but it also works in the house, they just do better starting outside, but you get a later start that way. I cut 7 slits in the bottom with an exacto knife. When they are sealed shut, water droplets appear in the lid. When they germinate, I take the lids off, set them in a sunnier spot and mist. Then I can fill the lids with a little water and set the plants in that to bottom water. I got a bunch of free six pack, nine packs and transplant into those when the second set of leaves appear and let them grow on a bit. I will be using coir to line things and may try rooting some rose cuttings in that (ground up, not like what you likely have). I don't know how it would be to start seeds in. It would probably work, but can you bury the whole pot? I never wanted to bother with peat pots, too expensive for one thing and don't degrade in the ground fast enough unless you do what you do. Who needs it?

Dear Cathy, Thank you for all the good advertising and marketing information. It refreshed my memory about doing up press releases for my own business and sending them out to the local and surrounding newspapers. Also I remembered about advertising on local chamber of commerce internet pages - I did that some time ago when the chamber was redoing their web page and I have already gotten a call from that listing and I am not even open. Last year when my lavender was blooming I brought bunches of fresh lavender to all of the chamber of commerce offices in surrounding towns, so this year I may do that again along with a flyer about my farm, announcing when it will be opening. Giveways for thank yous along with your card to businesses is a good idea too. I have painted up some two sided signs that say fresh flowers with an arrow that can be set up on the highway to direct people into my location (these will be movable and taken down when I am not open). I have been getting my signs and such ready beforehand. I have had a sign posted on my fence saying "... farm coming soon" for some time and I have had good responses from that - in fact some people have said "your sign says coming soon - when it is coming?" (maybe I put the sign up a little too early). I do give out my business card to anyone I talk to. Even in grocery lines, gift shops, and department stores. In fact, my husband was talking to a gentleman in the auto repair shop that said he wanted to come when we opened. So you never know which people are interested in coming out to the country to buy direct from the farmer. I have always thought perhaps people in cities might have a longing for that country atmosphere and going to a farm is an excuse for them to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I just remembered someone else I know partnered with a local hotel and has advertising in their hotel rooms about their ranch - to entice visitors to come and stay there. I don't know if your area might be a tourist area but that might be a way to get more traffic to your location. In fact I did have a meeting with the small business administration office and they said the best way to get people to your location is to have a website and to make up one of those 8.5 by 3 inch brochures and place the brochure in locations where tourists pick up information about what do in that area. Having some of those at chamber offices is a good idea too. Cheryl mentioned above - about perhaps not having enough flowers her first season if she had advertised - and I am kind of worried about that too. I am planning to have other botanical/garden related items to sell in case I don't have enough fresh flowers - and I am hoping the drieds can get me through times without fresh flowers. I think Trish mentioned in a previous thread about us being marketers - and that is so true - your posting has reminded me to look at my business plan again and to make a list of all the things I should do to entice people to my farm. It is easy for me to get involved with the planting, growing and arranging and to forget about the advertising and marketing portion of the business. You said "staying in the customers face" and I think that is real important for me to keep remembering. Thanks for your thought provoking post. Linda

OK, I'm feeling better now. And wondering it I should move the three digitalis that I planted yesterday up to the raised bed. But then that would through off the arrangement of the azelias that I moved to offset the digitalis..... Amy, I think you win, though, with moving plants from home to home, though I could see myself doing that as well... if I had a vacation home. I love gardening and it is fascinating to me how some of the same principles that we use with our decor regarding color, scale and proportion work for the garden as well. It's just that we need to wait for the plants to grown and prune to the best shape! I'm also realizing that those with beautiful gardens have evolved over time through years of attention and care. You cannot just relandscape and be done with it. A few houses in our neighborhood did just that and now they are looking a little ratty. Every beautiful garden that I see, I always see the homeowners working in it--and not the mow-and-blow gardeners. I am looking on this as a grand experiment. When we bought our house almost 20 years ago there were all these little "decorative" stones in the back and front, basically a low maintenance/water landscape. It just stiffled creativity as we could never plant anything. First we dug up the front and last year finally got rid of the rest of the rock in the back. Problem is, I found my landscapers had burried some on the rocks in one of my beds so everytime I transplant, I am digging out more of the little red rocks.

Denise, sorry, I have been so tired of being sick. My brain is brain dead and I can only keep up here and there. Dam 'pregnizone' can wreak havoc on even a young body. Me too. My weather does the same exact thing. When it clouds up it usually rains and is lousy out, but warm. Once the storms pass, then comes the arctic air, the only time I ever get blue skies this time of the year. It's pretty depressing. It has been frigid for day, but not a cloud in the sky. I don't know which is better, cloud warm days and no sun, or blue skies and sun? You are so right! When the west is warm, the east freezes to death! I can't wait to catch a break around here. What a pain it is to unhook the hose and drain all the water out and then hook it back up again to water all the plants in my greenhouse. Kvetch, I see you dug them up!! I am so glad you did that. Ha. I was hoping you would not just let them die of hypothermia..lool Good to see you my friend. Mike