Why Start a Garden from Seed?

Every year I have gardened, flowers or veggies, I have always bought little baby plants. It is so easy to drive to the store, grab a couple plants I want, throw in some bags of soil and pick up something like gloves or a watering can. The hardest part of it all is the ginormous bill. I don't mean hundreds of dollars or even thousands but if you consider a garden with just 10 plants, that's $40.00 and you haven't added in some of the other things you may need like soil, compost or fertilizer. Alas, like most things now-a-days, you are paying for convenience.

This year, for some reason.... I really don't know why, I got the itch to start a garden and to start it from seed.

After much research and talking with my knowledgeable family and friends..... (and a green light from my hubs) I geared up and stocked up with supplies. I have to admit I was a little unsure of how everything would go but so far I am loving this experience.

So here are my reasons (so far) as to why I am loving starting my garden from seeds:

1. Average seed per packet is around 65, some you get 30 seeds and some you can get 100+. It just depends. I bought Organic and NON GMO brands for about $2.50/pack. That means each seed is $0.04 (using 65 seeds/pack) That is a savings of $3.96! WOOHOO!
2. I wanted NON GMO & Organic. I am sure you can buy plants that are labeled as such but then I wonder if the store uses any chemicals when watering or what they are using to "feed" the plants. With seeds, that is left up to me and makes me feel better. I want to use chemical-free and natural products to feed, water and deter pests. If I am going to put in the work to grow my own food, I want the best quality. Plain and Simple.
3. It calls into my nurturing side. I love to care for things! Having said that, sometimes I get too far in over my head. While germinating, plants only need moisture and humidity. Once sprouted, light, nutrient rich soil and some water is all they need. Plants are pretty independent, they just need a helping hand. I can care for them for a few minutes a day or for about an hour when they need a housing upgrade.
4. I get to organize, plan & think! 3 things I love to do as well but more times than not, is unobtainable with 3 kids!! Planning a garden... what kind do I want? Square foot garden, raised beds, till the land, trellis or no trellis, container or upside down hanging? When do I need to start the next batch? How many days does it take for different varieties to germinate? How long till I can harvest? Companion planting... which plants to plant next to each other for optimal results, pest deterrents and taste? All these things to think about, plan & organize gets me excited!
5. It's a learning experience. Not only for me but for my children as well. I have never met a kid who isn't interested in plants, flowers or nature. They get to witness how they grow, the differences in appearance and how simple it is to grow your own food. I can't wait until they start seeing the fruits of our labors develop. Pun intended. They've been so into this adventure so far, I just know that they will be beside themselves once they can see the veggies and flowers in their prime!
6. It breaks up the monotony. It is a hobby that I can do a little every day and continue to do for weeks and months to come. Most hobbies take my interest but then I finish a project and don't feel a need to continue on. I think I may have hobby ADD. 
7. Cost... but on the other side of things. Produce can be expensive. Especially when every person in your household loves and eats the crap out of it. Seeds keep the initial cost down and then once you have your veggies/fruits the cost goes down from there... and monumentally when you stagger the start of each specific veggie/fruit so you have enough to last a whole entire season if not more, if you can or freeze.
8. It makes you appreciate what you are putting into your body. A new respect towards your food and your body because you have done the work, you have kept these little plants alive and you cherish each stem, leaf and bite. Kids pick up on this as well, start them out at a young age respecting nature and their bodies is a lesson that will live on forever with them and potentially will be handed down to their own children.
9. Gifts! Too many plants? Gift them to those people in your life who would like a plant.... whether for produce or ornamental, it's a nice gesture and you have cultivated the life of that plant with love, care, respect and nurturing. What better gift to give?
10. Sell or donate! You can sell your plants at markets, to family or friends and make a couple extra bucks for all your hard work. ORRRR if your supply exceeds your demand, DONATE to homeless shelters or other organizations that target hunger in your area! 

There you have it! My many reasons on why starting a garden from seed is so rewarding! As long as you stick with it you will reap what you sow...... and much, much more!

Prosperous Planting!

Welcome!

Welcome to Will Garden For Food! I created this blog to document my journey in gardening from seed to table.

My inspiration started with wanting to create an exterior flower garden for our large living room window. In the summer the sun beats in and heats our home to very uncomfortable temperatures, even though we have central air. I figured since I wanted to start the flowers from seed, that planting a few of our favorite veggies/fruits would be a nice adventure and healthier than the produce available at local grocers. 

I started researching flowers for my "windowscape" on Pinterest, as this site contains so much useful information and you can save the links you find on your personal board to view later. I love it. The full sun plants I found and liked are: Milkweed, Morning Glories, Shasta Daisies, Black Eyed Susan's & Black Eyed Susan Vines. I wanted flowers that not only are beautiful but can take the heat, bloom most of the summer and have a dual purpose. I chose Milkweed since they are the ONLY plant butterflies will lay their eggs and they have lovely orange flowers. The Morning Glories and the vining Black Eyed Susans were ideal for hanging baskets and will take the brunt of the sun, in which I hope this will cool our house down a bit. I chose a white Morning Glory variety to brighten up our dull landscaping and I will probably get a mix of white, yellow and orange Black Eyed Susan vine seeds (once I find them). Shasta Daisies are a basic daisy and will come back year after year. Black Eyed Susans have always been a favorite of mine, I really love wild flowers. I realized I have a ton of these seeds and I will probably put together some baskets for spring to gift or sell. 

As for the veggies I knew I wanted lettuce and cherry tomatoes. I will eat lettuce everyday if I can, but the store bought salads are not only somewhat pricey but sometimes they are hit or miss with quality. No one likes a salad of decomposing leaves. That's just gross. My kids and I are tomato freaks! They're so delicious! They will scarf down two bins in one sitting for a snack. I have grown cherry tomatoes in the past and they were pretty successful until I started school and then they fried. The kids would go pick a few and eat them right out of the "garden". I grew them next to basil which I have read  keeps them sweet and helps deter pests. I can't argue with that statement because I didn't have any issues with pests and they were absolutely delectable, I plan to do the same this year. The hubs said he wanted bell peppers and jalapeños, no qualms there, who doesn't like a fresh salsa straight from your own garden? I also threw in a packet of cucumbers, we love to snack on those and use them in our special pasta salad which also calls for green bell pepper. Yum! 

I decided to try the plastic greenhouses to start my seeds. The only complaint I have had is the ventilation or lack there of. Seeds don't really need ventilation while they germinate but once they sprout it is definitely needed. I just took an exacto knife and cut out little triangles on the two sides to create a flow of air, hoping this will keep down the white fuzzy mold and let the plants breathe. 

Most of my seeds I planted have germinated and are doing well. 2 of my lettuce seedlings took a turn for the worst when I tried to transplant them into foam cups, they were so leggy and thin they just wouldn't stand up on their own and keeled over. 

Stay tuned for my next posts, I will talk about how I transplanted the plants that were too tall for my little plastic greenhouses, an aha moment using something my hubs found on the side of the road, a complete list of all the seeds I plan to grow, my planting calendar and some information I have found to be quite useful and interesting!