Catching Up

Tomatoes have germinated! I hope they make it. These are my last chance because I've now run out of the precious heirloom seeds. I just planted them a few minutes ago and I'm hoping for a miracle tomorrow. But as for today, my apartment smells like fish emulsion. It's isn't so bad for me because I've gotten used to it but every time I come back home I have an eeewwwy reaction and I'm sure my guests secretly do too. However, I'm sure my cat Charlee doesn't mind. As I'm writing this she is going to town chewing in-between her toes so I'm sure the fish emulsion is a step up for her.

I haven't tried this fish emulsion business before but I remember my mom using it when I was a little girl. I stayed very far away. The smell is rather sickening and I'm the type that gags easily with gross smells. I'm hoping that it's worth it in this case because I read that this smelly brew is good for seedlings and that it should be administered before transplanting. I'm hope that transplant time comes soon because I have some crazy seedlings right now. Here are some pictures:

And then I have my new seeds that I hope come up quickly and catch up to these big guys:

I think it's pretty clear that I have my hands full. As of right now I think I'm looking like a nut. If you were to visit my apartment, you will see this craziness. I hope that I can transplant soon just so that I can reclaim a good portion of my apartment and maybe not gag when I walk in the door.

In this picture you can see some baggies and note cards on the table. I used the baggies to start my tomato seeds. Because I have so many varieties, I labeled each baggie with a number that matches the number I designated for each seed pouch. This is how I'm keeping track of them. I have numbered trays, numbered note cards and numbered seed pouches, and none of which would make sense to anyone but me. It's worked so far! I even have most of the numbers memorized so that I know what heirloom tomato corresponds with each number.

This was a low-key weekend as my parents were out of town so instead of going out to their house to work in the soil, I took the time this weekend to work on projects that I've neglected like my jewelry design and getting out on my bike. It was beautiful this weekend - the weather was perfect, the plants in the yards and boulevards are lush and green, the air is heavily perfumed with orange blossoms and seasonal flowers, lunch in outdoor cafes and there was even an opportunity to buy lemonade from two sweet little girls while on a leisurely walk. Today I felt like I was living in a different era, a more simple and pure time. It made me remember how much I love my city but it also made me think about my gardening goals and how just getting your hands in the soil can give you a new perspective.

I hope everyone is getting the opportunity to get outside in any shape or form and get a renewed perspective. I know that many start new goals in January but to me, the beginning of the resolution season is in the spring just as the plants start to wake up and show us their new shoots. I like to think that I too come out of dormancy and it's time for me to realize my goals for the year.

Daphne