Starting Seeds

Where have all the flowers gone   

Long time passing

Where have all the flowers gone

long time ago..

For some reason I have had this song stuck in my head the past couple of weeks. Maybe it was something I read, or maybe it=s that time of year. Time to put the cold dark months of winter behind us and start thinking about all those beautiful flowers and veggies that will adorn our gardens for the next several months and well into fall.

It=s time for myself and many others to start those many seeds that we either saved from last year's crops, bought online or in-store, or that were passed on from friends. It=s not hard or very time consuming. A little goes a long way and the diversity is endless.

One of the best parts of my Spring is seeing the first seedlings popping out of the soil, reaching for the sky, (albeit through my picture window for the first few weeks). I always start too many, but that is part of the fun. You aren't limited to your choices and sharing the bounty with family and friend is always a bonus.

Flower, fruit, or vegetable? Watching your gardens come to life with plants you nurtured from seed is well worth the effort. If you need some tips check out our gardening section at your local library, that=s 635 in the non-fiction section. You=ll find plenty of great books with lots of helpful tips, like this one: Mini farming : self-sufficiency on a 1/4acre by Brett Markham, or Seed Sowing and Saving by Carole Turner. Do a search for "gardening" on our catalog online for plenty of great books!

I=ve been going through my seed packets and planning this year's crops. Happy gardening!! I CAN=T WAIT!! GONNA GET MY HANDS DIRTY!!

Tim Jackson has been starting and sharing plants for more than 20 years. He works in Technical Services here at Library Headquarters.