Bulb Fail

Remember in November how I planted a bunch of bulbs in containers, and labeled them nicely, and then put them all up in the attic, where they would chill for the requisite 12 weeks.  Supposedly, I would be able to take them out and bring them into my kitchen, my bedroom, my office, and they would bloom conveniently, earlier than the ones outside, staving off my depression a little longer.

I've checked that attic room a couple times over the last 12 weeks, and it's fairly comfortable in there.  Not 40 degrees or lower.  Most of the containers are in folded up cardboard boxes, but the ones that aren't have grown substantial sprouts that are a dismally pale yellow.

I should have put those same containers outside or something.  Yeah, I know bulbs in containers outside can be hard because the soil freezes and thaws and heaves and pushes the bulbs out and then they freeze and die or whatever.  But I don't know if there is any saving these poor bastards now.  I could throw them outside, in their containers.  There are maybe 8-10 weeks before those things would come up naturally.  I don't think that's enough time for them to get the chilling they need, especially if they've already sprouted.

Apparently Grape Hyacinths are the ones that always sprout early, and everyone is cool with it.  I guess they just hang out, and they don't bud until the right time?  I'm going to put them outside, in a long container, and see how they do.  Actually, I think I will take like, half and put them outside, and the other half I'll leave in front of the window and see if there's a chance they're going to grow properly.  They don't actually look that bad. I mean, they look about like they would if everything was going well, so.

2014 so far (or, Don't start no shit, won't be no shit.)

March 16th: I'd started starting some seeds.  Do Better Next Year (DBNY) Tip- Buy a grow light.  Burpee has one with a stand for $150 that's 12" x 30" and would fit perfectly on a shelf in the laundry room, and they do little promotion things all the time, so, just saying.

8 little pots of Thunburgia (new, Wedgewood), 4 Cilantro, 2 Rosemary and 2 Thyme (old, Burpee).
Several (like, 12?) of "Flying Saucer" (striped) Morning Glory (new, Wedgewood)

Used Wedgewood Black Gold Seed Starting Mix, and peat pots.

Cut back one liriope, pulled out a lot of leaves, especially around saddy sad sad Hellebores.  (DBNY- prune hellebores back in early March, so they grow big and pretty)

Spring Bulbs- Hyacinths were "crowning?" daffodils were starting to peak out.

March 30th: I went to California for like 2 weeks and everything was fine!  I covered the peat pots with an upside down plastic box- I worried it wouldn't allow much light in, it's a little translucent, but the Morning Glory were all sprouted and grew like 4 inches.  (DBNY: it's not good for them to be tall- they're tall because they're not getting enough light and this is the only way they know how to get your attention.  Stop being obsessed with tallness.)  Last year, it seemed like it took a thousand years (literally) for anything to even germinate, and I had stuff on the ground in front of the glass doors.  It's probably warmer on my desk upstairs than on the tile up against a glass wall.

Even though it rained like fuck all weekend, I sowed some Arugula and Radish seeds in the raised bed

April 6th: Started 12 pots of Zinnias (multi color, cut and come again), 6 blue Morning Glory, 6 Moonflower, 3 green Zinnias (all Wedgewood)

Sowed Kale in raised bed, cut back more liriope, "planted" begonia bulbs (tubers?) in small pots inside, to hopefully get them started.

SO MANY FUCKING PANSIES!  Bought a flat of pansies at Wedgewood.  Basically crammed the window box full of pansies, then put some in that raggedy-ass terra cotta pot that sits next to the steps, then pulled out those wooden rectangular planters that look nice but kind of fail, and put the rest in those.

Tried to make a nice container arrangement with pansies and oxalis.  Oxalis is an indoor plant, ok?  Creeping Jenny came back nicely!

April 11th:  Maybe it was listening to so much Mike McGrath, but I really tried to get the compost started.  At this point it was just a pile of garbage.  I eventually added more leaves, but it needed a lot of manual mixing (manual = with my hands.)

Planted a little bed of gladioli in the side, right in front of the AC.  Put in a new soaker hose for the side bed and raised bed.

April 18th:  Started more Zinnia seeds.

April 20th:  Planted a bunch of Gladioli and 3 Black Eyed Susans.  Daffodils are starting to bloom.  Day Lillies are coming up and they look healthy and all.

So, what have we learned....?  I should just bite the bullet and buy a grow light and just go ahead and commit to being That Guy.  I haven't yet successfully started something from seed indoors I couldn't have just as easily direct sown (green beans and nasturtiums, basically.  Seeds that are the size of marbles, that are recommended for teaching 6 year olds how plants happen.)  Since I don't have a lot of space to grow vegetables, I'm really more interested in growing annual flowers from seed, particularly ones I never see in garden centers.  The Morning Glory and Moonflower in particular I should just start the seeds in whatever container will eventually go outside.  I'll get way more in there, too.  I don't know about the Thunburgia and the Zinnia.  I guess I'll see what happens.