Round 2

The trip to the nursery was a success, not only did I purchase an additional sack of potting soil, but after looking through the large selection of seeds Ryan talked me into trying a different type of plant: flowers! When the idea of a garden first crossed my mind flowers never played a part in the plan. I automatically assumed growing flowers from the seed should be left to professionals. The delicate nature of these plants sets them aside from simple herbs such as basil or thyme. However, seeing the progress my garden had made in just a week emboldened me, so I decided to give flowers a try.

When I got home I immediately went to work on cleaning out the remaining pots.


Once I cleaned out and refilled the pots with fresh soil I was ready to start planting the next round of seeds. (On a side note, when I got home I realized that the sack of potting soil I purchased was different from the first sack. I wasn't sure if this mattered so I read the label on the back of each of the bags and compared the two. I found that the ingredients in the two types of soil were different. I'm not sure whether it will make a huge difference but this is something I will definitely research as my garden progresses. In the meantime, I'll just assume one type of soil is as good as the next.)

I decide to start by planting the flowers. After perusing the various types of seeds at the nursery (and reading the instruction labels on the back), Ryan helped me decide on the Powderpuff Aster: these sounded like the easiest to grow and maintain.

The seeds are interesting in appearance; they look like something a bird might eat. The instructions on the back of the seed packet call for planting in a well drained container, so I am using one with two large holes at the bottom for proper draining. The container is 12 inches in height and 12 inches in diameter. Ryan is most excited about this plant and encourages me to plant more seeds than the instruction call for, so I take about 12 seeds and scatter them throughout the pot.


After scattering the seeds I sprinkle fresh soil on top of the seeds, but I'm being careless and probably add too much soil. I don't know whether to try and dig out the seeds and replant them, instead i just add a few extra seeds closer to the surface.

Next is spinach, which is not only one of my favorite leafy vegetables but is also one of the most nutrient-rich foods around. As some of you might remember, not too long ago the USDA announced a major recall of spinach contaminated by salmonella. Ever since, I've been a little weary of store-bought spinach, so the thought of growing my own is very exciting.



For the spinach, I used a pot that is 12inches in height and 13 inches in diameter. I took ten seeds total and distributed them throughout, leaving about two inches in space between the seeds.

Finally, I have a packet of snow pea seeds that I will plant in the largest of the remaining pots; this one is 16 inches deep and 17 inches in diameter. Like the squash, this is a larger seed, making it very easy to plant. I planted ten seeds approximately one inch deep and making sure to keep them at least two inches apart.

After planting all the seeds I am left with one extra pot. I considered using the pot to plant extra thyme and basil, but I decided I already had my hands full and instead will hold off on using this final pot until further progress.