Sprouts and first spring flowers!

My gourd seeds are sprouting, much sooner than I expected. I'm so relieved that I didn't cause them to rot by soaking them for two days instead of one! I planted three seeds and have two big sprouts...

 ... and one little one! It's just about ready to poke out.

Spring is springing here, slowly. We're getting a lot of cold then warm then cold again weather. My early flowers are starting to show themselves though.

 This is our little patch of crocus. It started out as a single flower blooming in the middle of the lawn the first few years we lived here. I have no idea who planted a single crocus bulb in the middle of the lawn or why- maybe a squirrel?- but it comes up every year, and lately has been multiplying. About three years ago we got two blooms, then three, and last year we had four. This year we have eleven!

And the Wolf's Bane is up as well. Every year I want to get a picture, and every year I put it off because it's too cold, and then the blooms are gone. I finally got one this year! Usually the little yellow blooms are poking out of a blanket of snow, but we've had a mild winter this year.

Happy Farming! And Happy Spring!

Gourds

I decided to try starting my gourd seeds indoors this year. I'm a horrible seed-starter, so I try to directly sow everything outside. Unfortunately, Wisconsin doesn't have the longest growing season, so I had to try something to extend the season. Before I did anything, though, I naturally got a gourd book at the library!


Gourds in Your Garden is the book I picked. It focuses on growing decorative gourds, big and small, and the luffa type gourds (which is what I'm growing.) If you're looking to grow pumpkins or other squashes, which are apparently sometimes referred to as gourds- I didn't know that!- this isn't the book. But there is tons of great information that was easily digested by a novice gourd-grower like me.

Armed with my new gourd knowledge, I soaked my seeds overnight (for two nights, accidentally. Oops!) and then planted them in an old food container with a clear lid. Then I put them in the window. Gourd seeds can take a long time to germinate, weeks sometimes, so I don't expect anything to happen soon. Just crossing my fingers and waiting for now.

Happy Farming!