Our Other Children

Here are our little seedlings. This is the earliest we have ever started them so I think they actually have a chance this year. This is also the most number of seeds we have ever started. I planted flower seeds and Jason joined in on the fun with tomato seeds, onions and habaneros. Jason also made the contribution of the fan you see in the background. We turn it on once a day and it simulates a gentle breeze. You can also create a similar effect by lightly brushing you hands over the seedlings. You see, we have done our research. We even rotate our seedlings because as you can see they are all stretching towards the sunny window. This way, they have to stretch in a different direction thus making them stronger, hopefully.
I love to go and check on them each morning because at this stage you see changes almost every day. I check the soil to make sure it is moist and restrain myself from watering. I have drowned more seedlings and plants than I care to remember. We now need to start hardening the seeds off by putting them outside for increasing periods of time. This is where I have trouble with the process because I forget I put them outside and they spend the night in near-freezing temperatures. These seedlings require a lot of care and we are rather fond of them, so they are kind of like children. Luckily they don't wear diapers!
This close up picture is not an alien species but something called a moonflower. We've never grown them before but we liked the picture on the seed packet. This is not always a wise selection method as I learned when cosmos took over the small dirt plot we had when we lived in our apartment. My stomach turns whenever I see those cheerful flowers with their fringy leaves. These moonflower seeds were the size of cornuts and the leaves are like tiny elephant ears when they open up. I can't wait to see how ginormus they will get when full size.