Sprouting seeds

Several weeks ago, I felt full of gardening optimism and went out and bought several planting flats, potting soil and a variety of seeds. With the help of my husband and youngest son, we decided on parsley, cilantro, thyme, oregano, cucumbers and zinnias. All are reasonably easy to grow and I wanted my son to see the process.

We made a glorious mess planting two flats.

My son was thrilled to see the seeds sprout, many within a week.

I have already transplanted most of the plants outdoors (our frost date in Bristol is April 15!). The process has been a partial success. My son loved planting the seeds and was eager to see them grow. But some shot up quickly, then withered. I have a third flat and plenty more seeds to start indoors. And we aim to start more zinnias outside this weekend, now that the weather is warmer. If our seed attempts falter, I’ll buy some herb plants and try again.

Happy gardening!