My Two Gardens

Remember the garden I planted out front a few months ago?

I've had mixed success with it, possibly because our rather shady yard just doesn't get enough sun.  The basil flourished, but the peas and pumpkins didn't grow very well, and the habanero plant only produced one pepper.  The tomatoes are starting to die back (maybe they know it's autumn), but they have made a heroic effort to ripen all their fruit before giving up the ghost.  The pleasure of having fresh basil and tomatoes right outside our front door has made the garden worth the effort, in my opinion.

So what's next for this compulsive gardener?  I'll probably put some hardy, perennial herbs in the raised bed outside, and indoors I'm giving this book a try.

The author soaks seeds like peas or broccoli overnight, puts them in wet soil in disposable bread pans (or any other container you like) . . .

. . . then covers them with wet newspaper and stores them in a dark cupboard for a few days.

Once they start to sprout and push the paper off, he sets them by a window (it doesn't even have to be a sunny one) . . .

. . . to green up and grow a bit more.  I should have taken a picture a few days ago when the greens were tidy and cute.  Now they're getting a bit unruly, and half the broccoli sprouts have been chopped for a smoothie (don't look at me like that--they actually have a very mild flavor).

Will I grow more potted sprouts?  Probably.  They make a nice addition to salads, sandwiches, and even smoothies, and I can grow them even in the dead of winter.