Slowly...

This spring is missing one key element: sunshine. Despite that fact, the mesclun mix is inching along in the greenhouse. The bed below was planted in a tray that was placed on heated pads and under grow lights in the dining room's south-facing window. That was on March 3.

On March 25, some of those seedlings were transplanted from the trays into two greenhouse beds. The bed below will be ready for picking if we get a few days of sunshine. And, I think I'll thin them out if that elusive sunshine indeed happens and transplant some into the garden. A sheltered spot east of the greenhouse should be fine for them.

On March 18, the ones below were transplanted into the greenhouse. Clearly, I transplanted them too early, because they are struggling. I love William Dam Seeds' mesclun mix. That was how I was introduced to Bull's Blood beets. They aren't as much of a cool weather crop as the curly endive, lettuces, chervil, arugula, chicory and other greens in the mix, but they are the best beets we've ever grown.

On April 12, spinach seedlings were trans-planted in the remaining space in the greenhouse next to a few rows of radishes. I will move them all into the garden because last year I learned that they do better overall in the garden than in the greenhouse. Even though they are attacked by leaf miners for a week or two, they usually come out of that assault and continue to bear for the entire summer. If you've followed our garden stories, you will know that this variety is called Perpetual Spinach, but is really a Belgian Endive.

This bed was trans-planted the same day as the image two above.

March 10 was the planting date for this experiment. I planted seeds into this 72 pod tray and placed them into the greenhouse. I wanted to see what would happen if they came up "naturally" with just the greenhouse/heater conditions. They will make a great third succession of salad greens.

Tomatoes that were planted indoors on March 3 are a little over 8" tall. Whenever there is sunshine and the greenhouse acts like a greenhouse, I carry them from the dining room to the greenhouse for the day. They seem to enjoy that. 🥴 So far, I've remembered to bring them back inside in the late afternoon.

Peppers, cherry tomatoes and zinnias are very happy indoors.

And, be still my heart - my favourite: verbena bonariensis. Difficult to start, but well worth the effort.

This tray has had various crops rotating through it this spring. You can see kale done in two plantings at the bottom. The grasses near the top of the image are Panicum QIS Sprinkles. I love the idea of having new filler plants for our bouquets. These are also called Frosted Explosion. How can you not want to grow a grass with that name?

Two other trays have been seeded at different times with another grass - Bunny Tails (Hare's Tales) - and later zinnias plus a first planting of marigolds for bug control. Again - Bunny Tails. What fun that will be! And, how soft they will feel when our neighbours touch them.

One of these days we will see the sun again. And, who knows? It might just get too hot!

I'll trust Thoreau for the outcome of this garden experiment:

“I learned this,

at least, by my experiment:

that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,

and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined,

he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”