This weekend marked my first foray into urban gardening — well, any type of gardening, really. Jury’s still out on whether my thumb is black or green, but it’s safe to say I’m Hooked on Horticulture.
I decided to be ambitious and start all my plants from seeds, rather than buying seedlings from the local nursery. I did try to pick easy varieties to grow (here’s a good resource I drew from) and ordered mostly heirloom seeds from Baker Creek. Travis’ mum also kindly sent me some of her favourite seeds. Ultimately, I ended up with the following mix:
Herbs
Cilantro
Peppermint
Genovese basil
Vegetables
Red romaine lettuce
Tomatoes – Opalka (paste), Sub-Arctic Plenty (cherry), Chocolate Stripe (large)
Scotch bonnet peppers
Flowers
Red marigold
Russian mammoth sunflower
To make the newspaper pots, I disassembled a small paper box I found and traced it onto pages of an old Sunday Times. I selected only the black and white pages, as coloured dyes aren’t typically soy-based and can leach into the soil. I then folded the pots and filled them with organic seed starting mix, and carefully sowed and watered the seeds. Finally, I placed the pots in West Elm outdoor trays and labeled them so I could tell them apart when they germinated.
The trays now sit atop my laundry basket in my washroom, as that’s the sunniest spot in my apartment. I also zipped them into a clear vinyl blanket bag I had saved to mimic a greenhouse.
It’s funny how attached I’ve already grown to these little guys. Here’s hoping they sprout soon!
Last night I made little seed packets and I love how they turned out. Simple, rustic, heartfelt, and inexpensive — they make ideal DIY gifts.
