Sunflowers

My neighbor came over Monday evening and we sat on my porch -- our second attempt to plan our gardens.  We didn't actually prepare any seed orders, but I did compile a dream list for this year.  Among the plants on it? 

Kale -- Wholefoods has me hooked on a raw kale salad that is divine. 

Rhubarb -- a childhood favorite --  I've never tried to grow it...

Moonflower -- a blooming vine whose fragrant flowers open at night.

Sunflowers

A huge bed of lavender

Red and fingerling potatoes

Herbs.  A ton of herbs.  I didn't get very many in last year!

I think last year I got too hung up in details and structure, and my garden wasn't as successful as I would have liked.  This year I am going to relax a bit, plant the things that I am dying to eat.  I did plant things that I enjoy eating last year, but the garden I planted was the "here are the 12 traditional vegetables every garden should have."  Yeah... I'm not going to be quite as well rounded this year!

Our evening inspired me to get my sunflower seeds started indoors.  I had saved all my leftover seeds from last year.  I got them out of the freezer and looked... hmmm no Mammoth Sunflower seeds, but I found a sunflower seed mixture.  Last year I also saved a bunch of pots and trays from the seedlings I bought -- just for this purpose!  I trundled to my garden shed, grabbed a bucket, and mixed up some potting soil, some Perlite, and some Redenta's Bed Prep.  I put the pots in their original tray for good drainage, and then put that tray on a melomine tray for easy transport.  Here's the end result:

I put them out on my porch in the sun in the morning, and bring them inside in the evening.  When our nights warm up a bit I'll be able to leave them outside at night.  Very fun!   I think I am going to plant them on the driveway side of the porch -- they should make a nice screen.  And speaking of the porch?  My porch furniture?  Some of the best money I've spent recently.  I am using it a LOT.  So comfy and calm out there. Ahhh.