Long story short, gardening is harder than it looks or what people make it out to be. There's a lot of information, a lot of different ways to achieve similar results, and many things can go wrong that are completely out of your control.
OK - Challenge accepted!
I enjoy watching indoor seeds grow in their perfect atmosphere, but I'm also figuring out how to directly seed outdoors. Perfectly training and timing the sprouts for the big and heavy world we live in is no easy feat (unless you have the money, time, and space to do it 😅). To top it off, starting plants indoors is only as good when a combination of warmth and sun is achieved. Our house is old with many drafts, the sun peeps through all around the house, forcing to play tetris with allllll the plants. Legginess is a common problem to say the least, but there's no better time to clock in a ton of practice!
We're creeping into the second week of May and the cold weather has just👏not👏quit!👏 A few weeks back the weather was perfect for transplanting, and since then some have died from unexpected blasts of frost. Thank goodness for Dollarama plastic covers to protect what's left! This is the ups and downs of gardening I suppose, right? 😋
Not having the right equipment can make something hard even harder and have nothing to do with skill set. This extra effort of planting and replanting will help improve gardening skills down the road, no doubt! If you happen to be reading this and feel like nothing is working - I'm confident that by the end of the season, you'll be impressed by your growth too.
We can find the silver lining in almost anything in the garden when we really take a look! Here are some hidden gems I've come to know from my past mistakes:
1. When it dies, it multiplies
If a stem accidentally breaks off, have no fear! With good care, a little bunch of nodes will start to form at the breaking point. That's right - when you lose one, you gain 4 more. So the next time a stem dies, don't be so sad!
broken squash stems with new nodes
2. Reseed
Getting the absolute most out of the season is something I'm personally striving to accomplish. Until then, I tend to reseed if I have any doubts that something will make it through. The waiting game is killer, but each time I reseed, plant-parent skills improve!
new lettuce sprouts in case the ones outdoors don't make it
3. Propagate
When a plant is damaged, like from sunburn, it may not grow well and stall. I've accidentally done this and once new leaves started to grow again, I cut the older stems and stuck them in water to try to grow some roots.
3 propagating tomato stems
Each one of these discoveries were pleasant surprises, and I'm sure there will be more to stubble upon down the road!
Have you discovered some magical surprises in the garden? What were they? Any tips for beginners, send them my way!
Happy gardening, discovering and learning 💚🌱
- Liv
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