Gardening Update

Last time I posted, I was writing about local food and gardening and it's about time I updated you on the latter of those topics. We've had quite a bit of sunshine lately in the PNW and the weather is starting to warm up (highs of 60 degrees and lows of 40 degrees)! The advent of spring has slowly started to change the landscape and it's starting to look like the place Matt and I fell in love with when we visited on our honeymoon.

The local flora are taking advantage of the warming weather by putting out buds and flowers by the ton. One of the pacific rhododendrons living in our apartment complex is heavy with beautiful blossoms. Did you know that the pacific rhododendron is the state flower of Washington?

Anyway, about a month ago I planted the potatoes (organic red potatoes that I accidentally let sprout on my counter) and snap pea seedlings (from Lowe's - nothing fancy there). They're both growing great thus far. I even put in some stakes for the snap pea plants to grow on because their little grabby vines were grow all over the place (they're a bush variety so I wasn't supposed to have to stake them but this may be for the best).

Sprouted potatoes just before I covered them with 1" dirt.

Tiny potato plant breaking the soil! (~ 1 month later)

Snap Pea plants just after planting.

Snap Pea plants growing big! (~1 month later)

I won't be doing another round of planting for another month or so but I am really excited about what we already having growing. By my porch I also planted a little patch of echinacea seeds and another patch with a daisy wild flower seed mix. The daisy seedlings are just now poking their little leaves above the surface.

Matt laughs at me every time I drag him outside to show him another seedling but I am so terribly proud of all my little plantlings! I can't help it. I don't think I have a particularly green thumb but I am determined to be a backyard gardener even if we live in a landscaped apartment complex.