We are in the middle of another home project, so seed starting isn't on my radar. My seed shelf is in my office/3rd bedroom and I really wish it was back in the utility area. However, there is zero room.

I've considered taking out one of the canned food pantries so I could put the light shelf back into the utility room. In 2020 we canned a lot of food. There's probably still 30 jars of cow peas from that year. Also, pickles that we don't eat and lots of jam/jelly that we don't eat that much of. Canned greens that we rarely eat because I like the fresh ones from the garden even in the winter. I need to figure out how we use canned foods and make adjustments. At this point in my life I don't need to be canning for the sake of canning.

I need to can what we'll eat--diced tomatoes, brown/black beans, occasional jelly/jam, occasional soup. And now, the potatoes.

Anyway....

I'm not lost or unplanned about Garden 2025. I planned it back in the summer.

Yesterday we prepared the house for painting. Today, I spent the day painting ceilings. My shoulders and arms are feeling it for sure. We ate dinner at Panera and then I came home and laid in bed for a full hour. It was hard to get up, but the chickens needed to be secured and other things. I lost a hen yesterday. She would have been 7 next month. I brought her in to pass. I just hate them dying in the cold.

Tomorrow I'll start painting the walls. It's crazy how nasty they are after 8 years. We had this part of the house (everything except the baths/bedrooms) professionally done then. We live hard in our house apparently. The pets are another element, but I can't imagine not having a pet in the house.

Let me say this--I'm so glad I don't hoard. I can imagine how much more difficult this would be if there was a lot of unused crap lying around. I encourage all of you to purge stuff that you don't need/use. IF something happens and you need to have work done in your house, it will be MUCH easier.

So, I'm pushing this home project hard so I can be done with it soon. It seems like just last month I was just painting the new closets doors/trim and scraping popcorn off the bedroom ceilings. Wow. Time flies. This project is much easier. Just mostly painting. Last year's project was intense.

After the walls, I'm going to paint the entertainment center (I already said that earlier) and then be done with it. I know the kitchen cabinets will need to be done next year. It's always something.

I'll be sitting for the rest of January and resting. Sometimes I feel like I could sleep for a week. Lol

I'm not yet real excited about the garden.... except for the herbs I want to focus on.

I'll get there in about a month. :D

My man-child made it back to Oregon and is getting settled into his new apartment. He didn't have things like hangers. Lol.

Although his girl broke up with him in June, he's been staying in the same apartment because of a lease. However, he messaged me today and she was over at his new place cleaning it for him. And he's going to look at her new apartment this evening. She is in the same building as their old apartment, only had to move to the basement. It's a fun, trendy area. E's new place is in a less trendy area. He said it's mostly middle aged women living there. Anyway, they are broken up but obviously still hanging out together.

I'm going to pull out a couple of frost cloths on Saturday and get two beds covered.

That's about all the gardening I'll do this week.

I made a long post 1 hour ago but the thread list shows the last post was 5 hours ago. I can see my post but suspect no one else can.

anyway, I tried.. Just wanted you to know.

posting from phone now and it is tedious. so, this is it.

I only see the one directly above this one. I hate when it messes with us.

Kim, I have a few milk jugs set back to try winter sow, I had tried it before, but felt more secure starting plants inside. Having them in the house is messy, but I can go in the bedroom several times a day, and some times when I cant sleep I can go in the bedroom with the plant and fool around with them and not disturb Madge. I fell it is relaxing to go play with the plants when I feel a little sub-par.

Jennifer, I am sorry about you posting problems, I do enjoy reading your long post, its sorta like reading Dawn's long post. I still miss that lady.

I have to go for a stress test today, it seem as tho I am hooked on doctors. I had rather be going out to a cold wet garden, than going to the nicest doctors office in town. I am a little down, may Madge will buy me a pack of seeds to make me feel better.

I'll try again. I probably used a word that triggered something to cause it not to show for anyone but me.

I'm super tired. I painted all the ceilings yesterday and all the walls today. Up and down on the ladder, squatting and standing and all. I should be in good garden shape. lol

Arms and shoulders and legs and glutes are all feeling it.

I'm taking a break tomorrow to see my friend. But, I'll check everything on Saturday to see if the walls need a second coat, but so far it all looks good. I finished up about an hour ago. I can't remember being this tired in a long time. Tom was good help with taking down blinds and moving furniture and all.

Anyway....I'm sorry you're feeling down, Larry. I feel that way after the holidays too.

I wish my light shelf was back in the utility room. I'm considering moving one of the canning pantries out, so I can put it back in. I need to rethink canning. I don't want to can for the sake of it. I still have about 30 jars of cowpeas from 2020. We don't really eat my canned pickles or a ton of jelly/jam. Or canned greens. Or even canned green beans. We do use canned tomatoes, black beans, brown beans, potatoes, and an occasional jelly/jam or soup.

Larry, I miss Dawn too and probably think of her every day. She was a special person.

Kim, I would like to try winter sowing someday. This isn't the year, tho. I am a bit controlling so enjoy checking in on my seedlings on the light shelf.

I will get garden organized soon. I just need to sleep for a week or two. lol

Well, I did not get any seeds today, but I did have a good time. I joked with the tech people, and my SIL & DIL cam to the hospital, and we took them out to eat after my test, we all had a good time, and more to eat than we could hold.

I was tired and did not even go out to the garden, but maybe tomorrow. I would like to pick some curly mustard for lunch tomorrow. I was raised with pork grease, but Madge wont eat it, so I have to come up with other ways to season the greens.

Larry I am glad you family came. That’s always nice. Use avocado oil. It’s healthy and you can season how you like. We probably won’t ever convince Madge that pork lard and beef tallow is healthy so it’s best to just find an alternative. My daughter-in-law and my sister are the same way and so when we get together, I’ll make sure and tell them all about how much bacon grease I have saved up and how much I use for my fried apples and fried potatoes. They think it’s so gross to cook with bacon grease.

Thanks, Kim, but I am even having a hard time adjusting to avocados, I don't even like butter, but I do use both in small doses. One reason I am trying to make my year-a-round onion project work is do I can go out at any time of the year and pull a fresh onion. I use more onions now than I ever did. I would like to become smarter on growing different kinds of seasoning.

I wish I lived close to some of you. I am trying to sort through some of my seeds to make up my mind on what I want to plant this year. I keep saying that I am going to cut back, but if I am going to use up my seeds I am going to have to start planting food plots again, which I don't want to do, but I may put in a watermelon and pumpkin patch across the creek east of the house. Madge does not like for me to get out away from the house, but maybe I can talk her into it, then I have gout my daughter to deal with. Everyone wants to boss an old man around.

Kim. I ask Madge about the Avocado oil, she had never used any either, but she bought some on the way back from the beauty shop. I had pick a mess of Curly mustard and cooked it while she was gone. This mustard was much better than the last I fixed, but I put the tops of 2 garlic plants, and 7 bunching onions in it, along with some jalapenos, and maybe a half cup of aphids. I had to wash that mustard 4 times to get most of the junk off of it. If Madge had seen all the bugs that I got off that stuff, she would not have eaten any of it, but the bugs may have been what made it taste so good.

Larry, I like avocado oil because it does not have a strong flavor at all. Vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil are all really bad for us and olive oil is good but it has a strong taste to me. If I can’t use lard or bacon grease then I use avocado oil. Right now I’m roasting some potatoes in the oven with chicken fat. Some people call schmaltz. It is a lovely fat to cook with. Most people throw it away when they make chicken or broth or soup. I was looking at my seed inventory and just like you can’t imagine where I’m gonna put all this stuff I want to grow

That’s a bunch of seeds Larry. Today is our last decent day so I going to work outside as much as possible. Then the weather turns to winter. I was cleaning seeds the other day and they has little tiny bugs eating holes in them. I threw it all in the freezer. I hope that helps stop them little things. Y’all have a great day

Kim, that is not all my seeds. I have a few more containers of gardening seeds, and around 100 pounds of food plot seed. My young neighbor call yesterday and ask if he could trap predators on the place, He and I both want to improve the quail and turkey habitat, I should ask him to help me plant food plots and use up my seeds. I can furnish the tractor, equipment, and supplies, but I need a strong body to do the work. I will also let him take the equipment to his place to plant food plots if he wants. He likes to hunt, but I had rather not have anyone hunting on this place, but I do like feeding the game.

The seeding trays that grand daughter ordered came in today, they seem heaver than what I normally buy at the Co-op, and cost more, $3.40 vs $1.79. I also have a pretty good supply of cells, but may have to buy more potting soil, and maybe some kind of fertilizer for the containers. I have no idea what is best for containers, I just use 10-20-10, 13-13-13, and 32-0-0 like I use in the garden, and I expect that I have enough of that to last the rest of my life, unless I start planting food plots again.

I expect that Madge, daughter, or grand daughters may ask for some special plants that I don't have, and of course I will have to buy seeds and start what ever plants they might want, but they had better get in gear, because ordering time is about on us.

I am busy organizing seeds in containers that my niece and my daughter-in-law gave me and I love it. Moni taught me how to systematically categorically keep track of my seeds and it’s so much easier than writing on the container and scratching it off and writing something different and writing something different. So I will put the pictures below or above. I have many seeds to get organized and I have six more empty containers so hopefully that will give me a good start this week while it’s freezing.

And they come with a nice scoop

Amy thanks for starting a new thread. I never know when I get on here if its going to be oldest or most recent first - it changes and when I post I never know its its going to be accepted or deleted. Seems if I type a long newsy post it disappears every time. I’ve been reading, just didnt have time to post. Daughter got me a new birdfeeder with a camera inside that sends pictures to my iPad, quite an expensive and technical toy. By the time my husband and I got it put on a pole with a baffle to deter squirrels and coons it was almost a divorce, of course the pole was an old pipe and the baffle is an old gas funnel for tractors, and we had to build a shelf to mount it on because it was fairly fragile looking and we live on top of a hill where its windy every day. My husband is a perfectionist and this has a solar collector with a long wire - its quite difficult to hide all the parts and make it neat - its still a work in progress, and this weather is going to be a test.

Today I made 2 big pans of bird cake, flock blocks, whatever - I make it for the birds and for my chickens, especially when its cold and nasty outside.

I’ve been going through seeds too. I’ve been looking at seed catalogs but honestly I have more seeds than I need already. What I need is more time so I can clean out my greenhouse and get it organized better before I start planting.

Today we spent a couple of hours putting out extra hay and mineral/protein tubs, fixing warm spots for the little calves, and bringing the cows due into a closer pen for a few days. Anyone who says they love snow or winter doesn’t have livestock for sure.

At least I will have several new tubs to plant in this year. Stay warm and safe during this cold snap. We haven't got the rain many of you have, but I prefer not to have it frozen.

Kim, that is a nice setup for seeds. My system, if you could call it that, is more redneck. I have 5 tool satchels like the one shown, I buy the two plastic bags shown in the one thousand count containers at an industrial supply house in Ft.Smith where I buy my trash can liners of different sizes. The bags that look to be about a gallon size will hold what I try to group as spring, summer, or fall seed. The small bags that look to be about 1.5 x 2.25 are for seeds I save from my tomatoes, peppers, and so forth, I write on a piece of paper and stick it in the small bag, because writing on the bag tends to wear off. My fertilizer and food plot seed I buy in 50 pound bags, and when I have to open a bag I store the rest of the contents in 5 gallon buckets of milk jugs, most of that stuff has to be stored in the shop. All but a small amount of potting soil is stored out side. I did move 2 bags of potting soil to the back porch an hour ago to be able to bring in a container in to the bedroom where I can plant some seed in this cold spell. If the weather permits I do the plant in trays outside, but it lookd to be too cold and windy for me to enjoy planting outside.

Glenda, I feel for you, I know to well how much work it is to care for cattle in bad weather. When I was young we milked by hand, and only part of our barn that had a floor was the corn crib. The cows would stand around the gate to get in to be fed and milked. In rainy weather the cow would come in wet, and, some times dirty. I would hold my head in her flank to keep her kicking of stepping in the bucket. We would have to keep her teats clean and doctored. We also had the joy of wading mud and poop half knee deep. All of that to make a small profit in the winter time, summer had a little more profit, and a lot more work.

Then, the hard work of cutting and baling hay in the summer. We started out with an old horse press baler and horse/mule drawn equipment. Farming is hard now, but it is nothing like it use to be, at least for poor folks. As messed up as the world is now, I still feel like I am living in "The good ole days".

I'll try again. I suspect the last two posts didn't show up. Although, one seemed like it did. I always check to see if the thread list shows "just updated" when I post. The last one showed that it did. But, it appears that it probably did not.

Glenda, I would like one of those birdfeeders with a camera. What a nice gift! A lot of the folks who are very, very passionate about how cats are destroying bird populations, don't live at my property. I have one shop cat and one indoor/outdoor cat, and we have tons and tons of birds of all sorts. But, I also plant a lot of things for the birds. I have found maybe 4 birds killed by cats in the nearly eleven years we've lived here.

Anyway, I'm sure you are really enjoying that gift. (Glad you didnt' get a divorce over it, tho. I am familar with those type of projects.)

I do like winter. Caring for animals when it's brutally cold isn't fun, but I just have the shop cat and chickens to deal with. I like winter because it's the only time I rest and/or sit down before 9 pm.

I pushed the painting project and finished it in two days. Mostly. I did the touch-ups today. It does look nice and I'm glad I pushed myself. The TV/entertainment center is next.

Yesterday, I went to brunch with a friend, but started feeling really bad. Got home and threw up and had a temperature of 101.9. I went to bed at 2pm and stayed there until this morning at 7:30. I feel much better today, but not a 100%.

Tom helped me get the coop ready for the cold coming in tomorrow. I was thankful for the help because I don't feel great. Finally, did the last harvest of the carrots and golden beets. And a couple of heads of cabbage. The other cabbages are almost there, but not quite. We also put frost cloths on a couple of beds--the one with the cabbage and the one with the collards and kale.

Jennifer I hope youfeel better

We had a nice visit from the kids and grand kids, and talked about what everyone wanted in the garden, and ordered a few seeds. I think we have everything, except maybe the egg plant, I will check for seed later. I told Nick to come down and help me with the harden in the pasture. Nick is from New Hampshire, and knows nothing about gardening, or equipment, but I think he wants to try.

I am sorting out seed to plant now, and man, I have way too many seeds. I have seeds that I bought for food plots, and saved from peas and beans I have grown. I need to plant crops, and put seeds out for the birds because my garden, and food plotting is coming to an end.

Larry that sounds like fun. It is going to be a good year. I learn more every year and that makes the next year better. I’m getting ready to do winter sowing so lots of thought going into what I am planting. It’s such an exciting time for gardeners. Like the night before Christmas as a child expecting hoping. Well any way I look forward to each part of gardening.

Kim, I wish I lived in an area where a lot of people gardened, I have lots of seed to give away, I have land where people could plant things, but it seems as tho know one is really interested. I plan on gardening and giving things away as long as I can. The people seem to enjoy the things I give away, but most know that they can buy food cheaper than you can grow it the way we have to grow it, it is a lot of work. The time may come when food is hard to come by, but, you know, I can remember my parents and grand parents saying that, and I have never seen anyone starve, maybe that is just a natural fear.

A world war might change some people's way of thinking such as back in World War II when the government encouraged victory gardens ( one of the few things that the government did right). Or another pandemic (like Covid 2020 or some other germ warfare thing)or a climate thing such as the Dust Bowl circa 1930's....

Some people might even appreciate what canning they have and glad that they canned while the getting was good.

Rick

Rick, I talk to my kids and grand kids about that often. I am too young to remember much about ww2, but I sure remember my parents and grand parents talking about it, they had it rough, but not near as rough as some folks had it. I think that at that time most folks in the country had it better than some city folks.

I remember the folks talking about the CCC and the WPA, there are still some bridges, dams, and small rock houses for the kids to get in and wait for the school buses built by the CCC/WPA around here. One of those little rock buildings about 4 or 5 miles north of me is damaged. I wish that there was a program to rebuild those little buildings just to remind people of how thing were, and how they could become again. A little rock building about a mile south of me still looks great, and it is getting near 100 years old.

I still have fruit jars that belonged to my grand mother stored over at my old house. I remember tales about the government giving out food, and my grand dad and great grand dad having too much pride to got to town and get the food, but the would hitch up the team and let their wives go to town to get the food, that really rubs me the wrong way. I can understand the part about having pride, and not wanting a handout, but I think it stinks that they would let the women go to town and do something they should be doing, unless they were just covered up with work and could not get away, but I am not sure that was they it was. I felt that my grand dad wad unfair to Granny.

I just checked what is left of my garden, the dirt is still there, and I can see the turnips pretty well. I did not see any mud or bugs, It is 27 degrees now, and it has been belowing freezing for at least 2 days, I think the low has been ether 15 or 17.

My garden looks pitiful. The agribon blew everywhere. We had 35-40 mph winds.

I've had similar experiences with the low tunnels I try to do through the winter.

Wind is your worst enemy with those. The covering has to be stretched tightly onto the hoops , no flapping with the wind , edges weighted down with dirt if nothing else , ends tied up and anchored down , . I use those plastic clip things to secure the covering to the hoops but even those can pop loose with high winds. Also helps to rope the whole thing down to inhibit any flapping.

Rick

Those look great Rick. If you want them up and throw them against the fence, that’s what mine looks like. We are getting ready for snow anywhere between two and 10 inches and for two days it’s going to snow. Thankfully, I have plenty of food and I do not have to worry about leaving the house.

Kim, I'll be heading to the post office in a few minutes and will mail the herb seeds.

First day back on regular work schedule and I'm falling asleep at my desk. Maybe I'll take a nap when I go home. Tom has the fever/throwing up stuff that I had a few days ago so it's doubtful I'll be cooking dinner. Maybe I'll start painting the entertainment center.

I'm wondering how much and what exactly we'll get in the way of snow/ice/rain. We have plenty of food too at our house, but I do have work tomorrow. The plants that I want to save are already covered.

Rick, those low tunnels look familiar.

Nothing too exciting to talk about. Hope everyone is staying warm.

Rick, those tunnels do look nice.

There is not much going on around here either. Madge and I did go to town to pick up a few things, it seems as tho that happens at least 3 times a week. We go out to eat often. Madge and I know that we don't have a lot of time left on this earth, so we try to enjoy each other as much as possible, and we enjoy going out to eat. We don't go anywhere fancy, and we go up in the day because we don't see well at night.

I bought $200.00 worth of gift cards at a restaurant in Greenwood before Christmas because I know that we always have an empty feeling after Christmas after all the family has gone home, and if we have the gift cards it sorta forces us to go use them. I know that is crazy, but it seems to work for us.

Its 33 degrees now, the first time I have seen above freezing temps in a few days. I am still sorting seeds and trying to figure what, how many, and when to start planting seeds. I have some skips in my collard row, so I plan on starting some collard ans cabbage seeds soon. I also have some old seeds of different kinds that I plan on planting early, so I will have a little time to play with if they don't germinate.

Definitely enjoy each other every opportunity Larry. Thank you Jennifer. It must be post office day. I had to go and so did my son

The snow really started coming down as I was coming into work. I can see the cars on 89th street and they're moving quite slowly. There's been a couple of wrecks too. Not looking forward to driving home.

How's everyone else doing?

I started moving my garden info for 2025 from last years planner into this years planner last night. Feeling pretty good about it. Just need to order a few things like onions.

The snow started here about an hour ago, it looks like there is a forecasted 5 to 8 inches for the next 24 hours, with the temp of 28 degrees there should be near the forecasted amount.

I need to go through one more satchel of seeds. I am trying to sort out all the pepper and tomato seeds. I have much more than I need, and this may be a good time to toss out some seeds for the birds.

I think I have 6 to 8 inches and it shows no sign of slowing down

I know that y'all are getting tired of seeing my sweet potatoes, but I am going to bore you again. Each year the beauty operator that Madge and I go to, wants a planter of sweet potato plants to set on each side of the entrance of her shop. I started early this year because my grand daughter wanted some purple sweet potatoes to grow this summer. I am really happy about how pretty they look. I should have enough plants to make at least 4 pretty containers by late spring.

I would like to ask if there is a pretty flower that I could start that would look good in a container of sweet potato vines? I have not messed with flowers much in the past 35 years.

White allyssum is a beast. It keeps going until the first freeze.

First time eating golden beets. They are so good!

Need to plant an entire bed of them.

Jennifer, I never did get mine to sprout. I had some beets sprouted when this freeze hit and went out and they were completely gone. They were so tiny. I’m gonna try them again because I feel like I need a lot of beets in my life.

Jennifer, how much different are the golden beets compared to Detroit or Early Wonder? It is hard for me to get a fall crop of anything going because of water problems. We have had lows of 15 degrees, and everything looks beyond recovery.

Kim, beets have always been difficult for me especially the golden ones. I put them in the Vego bed this year. I didn't get a lot, but wow!

I have a bad "case" of beeturia, so the red ones freak me out. I realize it's not a harmful thing, but just distasteful to me. And it's not a mild case either. I never wanted to even try the pickled ones although I love all other veggies. Roasting beets or grilling them was a great discovery.

SO....the golden ones are appreciated. No dealing with the beeturia.

Larry, I'm not sure how to describe the flavor. Maybe earthy, nutty and a bit sweet?

Kim, maybe try again and then again in the fall.

It looks as tho we have 5+ inches of snow, and the temp is 35 degrees. I would like to get energetic enough to go out and dump out some of my old seeds for the birds to eat. I ask Madge about going to town to get a bag of chops or bird seed, but she does not like that idea.

I also have a few packs of seeds pulled out to try to get sprouted. I really don.t like sitting in this house so much, and I have 2 types of onion seeds, 4 types of cabbage seeds, and 2 types of collard seeds I could be playing with. I don't want to start anything else this early.

I'm tired of the snow already.

Robert, I am tired of snow also, and I have not even been out of the house. My wife says that we had 8", it does not look like that much to me, but we do not have near as much snow as you have. I would hate to have to go and work in this stuff. The snow is melting hear, and if we don't get any more we should be okay in a few days.

I am thankful I do not have to leave the house. If I don’t want to. I did make my way to the shed and grabbed some of my winter sowing supplies, jugs, crates , soil, vermiculite and bio tone.
I am going to plant two crates worth and two trays. I figured out where I can set up one light. I may just do one tray instead of crowding it

I had 1 and half bags of potting soil in the back of my truck. About a week ago I carried the potting soil and placed it on the back porch, knowing that I would soon be starting seeds. I went out a while to get about 5 to 7 gallon of potting soil to carry into the center bedroom in prep for seed starting, the potting soil was frozen into a block, so I just carried the entire 1/2 bag into the house to thaw out. The potting soil is sitting in a large tote tub, there will be no problem when it thaws. The thawing may take a few days, but I am in no hurry.

Been hearing stories about a Siberian arctic front in about 10 days.

Coldest since 2021... -17 then as I recall.

Rick

Yes, the weather folks have been talking about that for the past couple of days. I hope it's not that cold again. It killed several of my things that will survive regular Oklahoma winters. Although a few things grew back from the roots, but it set them back a lot. They're not near as big as they should be now because of that year.

It was Stella's first visit to our house--the coldest day of my life in 2021. Ethan got stuck when he drove to the airport. Luckily some kind guys got him out.

I have my growing list and a list of things that I need to purchase. Onions, Covington sweet potatoes, Isis Candy tomato, Lunchbox pepper, Katrina and Persian cukes, Babybutter squash, Pixie cabbage, and Muir lettuce--those all need to by purchased still.

I got the top portion of the entertainment center painted today--3 coats. And went out to by a few groceries and pet food, etc.

Now, I'm sitting.

Kim, I found some Royal Carpet alyssum seeds in my seed stash, I think I will try to start them if you think they will work in the planter for our beauty operator, I can also use them in the beds or pots at home.

I went in and check my bag of potting soil, it had thawed enough to slide it out of the plastic bag, so I may be able to start some seeds tomorrow. I have seeds that I need to do a germination test ob anyway because they are around 10 years old, they are a small cabbage seed that I don't remember growing, I have other cabbage seeds that I can plant anyway.

Jennifer, I hope you enjoy the Covingtom sweet potatoes, they seem to be more dependable for me than any I have grown. I have pretty purple sweet potatoes growing now under my lights, they make pretty plants, but they don't seem to be as reliable on production.

I have about all the seeds that I need, but I found an empty habanero package, I may have to buy more of those seeds. I also found some Black Cherry tomato seeds which I plan to plant, I have grown them at least once before, and did not like them at all. I had 4 or 5 plants of them a few years ago, and they produced like crazy, but I just used the plants to feed the horn worms and let the birds and bugs have the tomatoes.

I have been seeing some bad weather models also, but I sure hope they miss us. I have looked at the more local forecast and they are predicting more weather in the 15 to 17 degree before the end of the month, but that is still colder than I want.

I had to go watch my video on you tube to get a picture of my alyssum. It didn’t give up until the freeze

I don't remember ever starting any flower seeds inside. Years ago I was married to a different woman and I did about all the outside stuff, including the flower beds and I just bought flowers at the box stores. I did make quite a few cuttings.

I checked my potting soil in the bedroom, I have it dumped in a 30 gallon sterilite tub sitting near the heat duct. I already have enough thawed to place in the seed trays, but the soil is just getting warmer. I will add a little plant food to the soil because this is some of last years soil, and it had been sitting outside.

I have not found any more habanero seed, so I guess I will have to pick some of those up when we go to town. I expect I will have plenty of mint and basil volunteers, they are just weeds anyway but the girls like for me to have them.

I’ve never started Alyssa indoors. Last year was the first year that I winter sowed but I usually just start outdoors and direct sow. It grows really fast and I plant it pretty thick so that it can make a nice clump of flowers.