Seed Starting Countdown

There’s something about gray, wintry days threatening snow showers that makes me just want to put a big crock pot together of pot roast or stew, brew more coffee, turn up the heater, and focus on my writing. Hmmn, that sounds like my day today! Roast is perking along nicely in the magic pot as we call it, fresh coffee is on the burner, and I have my writing worked out for the day.

This weekend was filled with fun and friends. My neighbor Patty took me to visit Donna, a lady I had met at the goat seminar. We also went over to Donna’s sister’s farm, and enjoyed some quality time with her horses and inspecting their hen house and chicken coop. I came back full of ideas for our own little menagerie area. Our priorities right now are to finish up the front porch, finish the garden area, and get that growing this spring so we produce our own vegetables.

The picture with this blog are some of Patty’s newest additions to the farm! She raises Boer Goats and Boer crosses. Her goats are so friendly and sweet, they come right up to you for pets.

It’s countdown now to seed starting. I found a great free template online on You Grow Girl. It’s in Microsoft Excel. You simply plug in the frost free date for your area, and it calculates everything – when to start seeds, when to sow outside, when to transplate. Some of it seems a bit off (four weeks from starting watermelon seeds to having actual watermelons must be a mistake) but in general it was great. I made up my own chart, printed it out, and put it in the kitchen so we are all set. I am also ready to try the crepe myrtle and hibiscus seeds. I hope they grow – we want more in front of the house!