Planting season 2013

Has officially begun! Man, it seemed like this would never get here. Today we planted the seeds that should be started 8-10 weeks prior to the last frost, and for this area that is now. From this point forward, we will more than likely be starting trays every week for everything that will not be direct seeded.

So we filled two trays today: each tray has 50 individual cups, 5 rows of 10. We put up a table and hung a fluorescent light above the trays in our dining room. I guess it might be considered cruel to start them in the very room where they will meet their end. Another way to look at it as the cycle of life. Yeh, that's what I meant, cough,cough.

The seeds sowed today are as follows: Annie's Sweet Pepper Collection, which includes California Wonder, Golden Treasure, Orange Bell, Buran, Quadrato Giallo D'asti (a mix of orange, yellow, green, and red peppers); John Scheepers' Country Taste Beefstake and Orange Pixie Large Cherry tomatoes; marigolds ("Red Gem") from Annie's; and last but not least, we have some Old Spice Sweet Peas from High Mowing Organic Seeds.  No offense but that name is not really appetizing for me.

If we haven't said this before, all seeds are non GMO (genetically modified organisms) unlike most of Hollywood (and California for that matter), and most are heirloom varieties.

Pictured below are the trays and some pots containing our dahlia tubers from last year that we brought inside in the fall.  This was our first attempt at wintering-over the dahlias.  We chose to do this by wrapping them in layers of brown paper bags inside a cooler, stored in the basement (there are numerous other techniques). Keep your fingers crossed. I can't wait to see them pop up. They are so damn beautiful.

Here's to the official beginning of our planting season. I think this warrants a glass or two of scotch.