So far our little home-build greenhouse is doing really well in its first year. I’m happy with the insulating factor and how well the expensive automatic vents are working. I’m heating it with a heater that fits on top of a BBQ propane tank, mostly on the low setting. It’s hard to believe but the greenhouse is now FULL and I need to build a shelf for the plants that are not yet planted but will need to have a place here.

 

I like to snap photos on cloudy days, they seem to turn out better for me somehow, so I took a few this morning as I was inspecting the troops.

 

I hope you enjoy the tour.

 

 

Tomatoes! Lots of tomatoes. These ones are Red Brandywine.

 

 

Bronze Amaranth. Striking decorative plant that is also edible… the young leaves and the seeds.

 

 

Fernleaf Dill. Grown more for the leafy parts than the seed heads, so it’s great for fish and soup and other dilly dishes.

 

 

Marjoram. Doing very well! This is sometimes referred to as a mild form of Oregano. I think it has its own flavour, but it does remind me a bit of Oregano. It’s a tender perennial, so it needs some help to overwinter.

 

 

Indian Lemongrass. This tray was in the fridge for a month, with seeds in, to help them germinate. It worked well and they’re doing great now in the greenhouse. This tastes great in tea or in stir fries.

 

 

Black Hungarian hot pepper. A favourite that people have requested since I first started growing them a few years ago. They look like a dark purple Jalapeno, and have the same type of heat. The flavour is more mellow, though, especially if you let them ripen to a dark red.

 

 

The beans I grew indoors are still flowering and producing beans! They’re pretty happy in the greenhouse, although it was a bit of a shock for them at first, adjusting to the increase in light levels.

 

 

Last but not least – the wild asparagus has been transplanted and is doing well.

 

How are your seedlings growing?

 

Share pics in the Kitchen Garden Club, or like the Sarah’s Kitchen Gardens Facebook page to stay connected.

 

Happy planting!

~Sarah

Since the greenhouse is officially full today, I thought I’d post a few pictures to show how things are coming along. For those who are interested.

Pepper seedlings. The ones in the foreground are Black Hungarian Hot Peppers, which is why they have purple leaves. They are beautiful plants and could easily be added to a front flower bed. The dark green foliage is tinged with purple, and they have purple stems. And black-purple peppers until they ripen to red. Black Hungarian Peppers are similar in heat factor to Jalapenos but they have a more mellow flavour. I really like them, and so do the people who asked me to grow them again this year!

Cilantro. Love it or hate it, I think it’s cute how some of the plants are still holding on to their seed coats!

Most have heard of Lemon Basil. Have you heard of Lime Basil? I thought I better give it a try, since Lemon Basil is one of my favourite herbs.

Brassicas. I think these are kale, kale, and more kale. Curly Kale, Dinosaur Kale, and Red Russian Kale to be more precise. Lots of people like to grow it and hide it in their family’s food, so I’m doing my part.

Pretty little Sage plant. It’s a perennial, so you shouldn’t need to buy it more than once. It will flower in the second year, and every year after. Beautiful purple-blue flowers that are also edible. My kids like to suck the nectar out of them.

A very small fraction of the tomato seedlings currently in my care. The ones in the foreground are a new cherry tomato I’m trying this year: ‘Snow White’.

German Chamomile. Tea for you or your little seedlings – or both! I’m not a fan of the flavour myself but I use the flowers to brew a tea for my seedlings. Helps prevent damping-off, a fungal disease that kills seedlings when they’re tiny.

Dill. Homegrown pickles…. m.

These are my daughter’s trays. I just bust with momma pride every time I look at them! Quite the little seedling-lover I have on my hands. It’s also special because she found seeds that her Great-Grandma had purchased but never used (she’s passed on now) and planted them in one of the trays.

Another thing that makes me smile in the greenhouse. This Lemon Thyme was a gift from my nephew last spring. I was so worried that it wouldn’t make it through the winter, but a combination of greenhouse and some dormant time in the cold cellar worked ok.

 

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Have you started seedlings indoors? How are they coming along? Please feel free to share and chat on the Facebook page. ‘Tis the season to get revved up for gardening again.

 

Cheers,

Sarah

If you’d like to read about all the fun varieties of tomatoes I’ll be growing for you, along with peppers and cucumbers and herbs and more, please visit my google form: Seedlings and Custom Seedlings Pre-Order Form. Doesn’t that sound ominous. It’s not really, though, except that there is a lot of scrolling involved. It gives you the option to pre-order, like the name suggests, and to custom order as well.

The photo on the left is a favourite; the plant is a Black Hungarian Pepper plant. A woman who had bought a plant or two last spring told me recently that she wants to buy more this spring, because she really liked them. Not too hot, they look a bit like a black jalapeno. I think the leaves are beautiful with the purple variegation.

I thought I was doing something wrong, though, the first time I grew them! I didn’t know to expect the purple colour. Usually purple leaves are a sign of being too cold, or a phosphorus deficiency. I think I might have dosed them a bit of bonemeal just in case, but they didn’t really need it.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that these peppers are on the list. Along with a few other varieties of hot pepper. There are more hot pepper varieties than sweet pepper! There are just so many to choose from, it’s hard to whittle it down.

I’ll also be growing a few different types of edible flowers, as well as 5 different kinds of basil!

Please tell me what you’d like to grow!

I’ll draw a name randomly from those who leave a comment here about what they’d like to grow, and the winner will receive a seedling of their choice for free.

Comments close Friday at Noon.