Spring Seedlings

Butternut Squash, Cinderella, and Fairytale Pumpkins

It is that time of year in the Northwest....garden planting time!!  Our summers are relatively brief, so getting the timing right is important.  I planted the pea seeds directly outside last month (they are a cool season crop) , and I purchased some broccoli starts that are in the ground too.  Both of these veggies prefer cooler temperatures and tolerate our cool Springs well.  I also LOVE to plant loads of different squash varieties, but these are not so tolerant to our cool conditions.  I prefer to start my seeds indoors so the plants get an early start and are ready to hit the dirt running.  If I waited until June to plant seeds, many of the longer-season plants that need 100 plus days to maturity wouldn't ever bear harvest.   So get some starts started inside in the next week or 2 if you haven't already.  All you need are a seed starter kit (available at any Fred Meyer, Amazon, Home Depot, or favorite nursery), a bag of organic potting soil, and seeds of your choice.  Make sure to check maturity dates and have realistic expectations.  For example, melons are pretty tough to get this side of the Cascades, it just isn't quite hot enough or long enough of a season to successfully grow a fruitful plant.  Also, if you do not have a lot of space (like me), inter-plant amongst your pre-existing plants in your landscape (see how I planted the peas, in the summer, this area will be consumed by a blooming Russian Sage, but is now empty and open for business).  I also have dead space amongst my perennials and my pumpkins happily wind their way amongst them.  I would happily answer any questions you shoot my way, just comment on this post and I can help you!!