Seeds 'n' Things

Time to plant some seeds...

For those of you planting from seed, now is the time. I say "now" in the broadest sense because every seed is a little different. You really want to take the time to read up on the growth time for each of your seeds. Some (like tomatoes) will say to plant 6-8 weeks before outdoor transport. Others (like lettuce or spinach) are more in the 4-6 week range. I plant beans no more than 2 weeks before outside planting because of their fast growth rate.

Outdoor planting time for me is mid-May. That’s about a week past the local frost date, which I feel is pretty safe. It also allows me to acclimate my seedlings to outdoor life (but more on that later).
There are tons of seed-starting kits out there; from small 10-seedling trays to big 72-seedling trays. If you’re growing from seeds for the first time, I’d recommend a smaller tray. I use a few different sizes made by JIFFY, which has a couple nice features.


First, the trays have a transparent lid. All seed trays should have this, but if you find one that doesn’t, don’t buy it. The lid helps keep in moisture and warmth during germination. It’s less important once the seedlings get a few inches tall, but it is crucial for those first few weeks. Essentially, it's creates a mini-greenhouse.

Seed starter tray with irrigation channels in the lower tray.

Second, the trays have an irrigation channel built into the base. It’s a huge help in making sure everything is evenly watered. While you can water every peat pellet independently (not a bad idea until your seedlings germinate anyway), an irrigation channel cuts down on time tremendously as well as prevents one pellet from drying out while another is sopping wet.

Third, the trays come pre-filled with peat pellets for starting your seeds. I have seen a few trays that do not have pellets (which you have to buy separately). This is a waste of money, and for a few bucks you can get a stocked tray. You can save your tray from year to year, but the cost of a box of replacement peat pellets is about the same as a new, fully stocked tray. For the hassle of storing your seed tray year round it’s almost worth it to just buy a new one each year.

Last, the trays I get fit my needs. I have a 72-pellet tray, a 36-pellet tray, and three 12-pellet trays. They fit my needs and my available growing space. It’s a good idea to plant a few more seeds than you actually need since no one actually gets 100% germination. However, if you only need 20 plants, then don’t plant 50.

Science Time!

Why are we planting seeds in peat instead of dirt? Aren't they the same thing?

Peat. Very useful. Not terribly pretty.

Peat and dirt are not the same, although they are often mixed together. Peat is a soil-like material composed of partially decayed plant matter. It usually forms in bogs, where the local acid content of the water kills off the bacteria and fungi normally responsible for decomposition.

Normally, decomposition is responsible for returning nutrients to the soil. The acidity of bogs prevents this and plant matter simply accumulates. Over the years, this accumulation can become extremely dense and peat is born. Since decomposition is suspended, peat retains much of the biological carbon and nutrients it normally would have released into the soil. If left alone (for a very long time) peat eventually becomes coal.

Peat is used for many purposes, but it is commonly used as a fuel source. Like coal, peat burns very well and is classified as a slowly-renewable bio-fuel in much of the world. Big users of peat are Finland and Russia, both of which own extensive peat bogs. Sadly, extensive bog-mining and draining have caused massive ecosystem damage. As thousands of years of carbon detritus are exposed to the air, CO2 is released and becomes a contributor to global warming. Fortunately, peat used for small scale agriculture (like your seed starter trays) can be produced in a factory without damaging the environment.

What does peat mean to you, the gardener?

Peat is great for starting seeds. Its organic nature means it holds moisture well. However it also drains very well. Peat tends to prevent the soil from getting too wet. Adding peat to dirt makes it "fluffy". It allows for better drainage, and it contributes nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.

Seeds love peat pellets for exactly this reason. You don't want waterlogged seeds. Peat pellets help keeps seeds moist while preventing them from drowning. Topsoil is great for mature plants, but will often kill off seedlings. Also, peat lacks many of the dangerous microbes and fungi that soil has. Seedlings are extremely fragile, so mold and bacteria can be huge threats to them as they are sprouting.

Starting your seed trays.

Each tray should come with instructions. It’s not a bad idea to read them.
That said, here’s a couple tips to prepping your trays:

• Use warm water.
• For a tray of 12-pellets, I use ½ to 1 cup of water. This varies a little by pellet size.
• Add water as evenly as possible.
• Walk away for an hour.

That's right. Walk away. The peat pellets need time to absorb the water. A few will start to do so and swell right away, but most will not.

This does not mean they are defective!

This does not mean they need more water!!! (Notice the extra exclamation points?)

Hydrated peat pellets. String is used to divide seed types.
Pellets on the right have the mesh wrapping pulled back.

All it means is that they need time. If you put in more water, guess what? They will absorb it. All of it, until you have little soggy messes of peat unfit for seed starting. If you give them time, they will absorb all water they need and will swell up. If, after you wait, a couple still look a little dry and/or stunted, gently give them a little extra water and wait again. Remember seeds like moisture, but they don't want to drown.

Next, you want to do a little prep work before planting your seeds:

1. Plan out how many pellets you will dedicate to each seed type you have. Eventually, 1 pellet = 1 plant.
2. Mark your plan on your tray in some way. I use string to create easy dividers and I label each section. It is very easy to mix up pellets once they are planted.
3. Prepare your peat pellets by peeling back the mesh around the top. Don't remove it entirely; the mesh keeps the pellet from falling apart.
4. Make 2-3 indentations in each pellet. I use the blunt end of a paintbrush. You will need to read your seed instructions to determine how deep of a hole you need.
5. Use a small dish to pour out one type of seed. Do NOT work with multiple types of seeds at a time or you will confuse yourself.
6. Place one seed into each hole you previously made in your peat pellets. This means you will have 2-3 seeds per pellet. Don't worry; we'll thin these out once they start to grow.
7. Gently cover the seeds with peat. Do NOT pack them down harshly.
8. Once you have finished working with one type of seed, repeat steps 5-7 with each type.
9. When you are finished, cover your tray with the transparent lid and place in an area away from cold windows and direct sunlight.

Science Time! (Last one for this post, I promise)

What is a seed, and what makes seeds germinate?

Seeds are miniature dormant plants, covered by a durable shell. Inside the seed, they have a tiny food supply and are effectively in suspended animation (How Sci-Fi!) until the ideal conditions are met.

The "ideal conditions" are slightly different for every plant, but for most of what goes in your garden, the basics are: Moisture is present and the temperature is conducive to growing.

How can seeds tell it's OK to germinate?

For most seeds, the seed coat (the hard outer layer) is semi-permeable. That means light, temperature, air, and  moisture can get to the plant embryo inside the seed. When the plant embryo is exposed to these ideal conditions, it begins to grow.

Some seeds have an impermeable coat that has to be breached before it will germinate. Breaching the seed coat can happen in a number of ways. This includes frost action (frost formation physically cracks the coat), fire (heat cracks the seed coat open), and biological action (bacteria or the digestive tract of animals breaks down the seed coat). These are different strategies employed by plants to ensure that their seeds germinate only at certain times.

Some seeds even need to be exposed to cold temperatures followed by a warm-up before germination will happen. In this case, plants have evolved in such a way as to detect the passing of winter. If the seed does not experience cold temperatures, it assumes that winter has not come yet and will not germinate, even if every other condition is met. This is most commonly seen in bulb plants like tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils. Botanists use "cold stratification" to trigger these cold sensitive plants to germinate. By placing bulbs or damp seeds in a refrigerated space for a month, the seeds can be "tricked" into thinking that winter has come and gone.

What does light have to do with germination?

Seeds want to be in soil in order to germinate successfully. In nature, seeds get buried by the elements, animal actions, and by being covered in falling plant matter. A seed exposed to full sunlight assumes that it is not buried and often will not germinate.

Likewise, a seed does not want to be buried too deeply. A seedling can only break through so much soil before its resources are exhausted. Thus, seeds do not want to be exposed to 100% darkness. They assume that they are buried too deep and will not germinate.

This is not a fixed rule, mind you. Out of 100 seeds you will always get a couple to germinate whether they are planted 2 feet down or not at all. What I'm saying is for the highest germination rate, you want to bury your seeds around ½ inch down, with loose soil or peat on top. This will give them enough covering to retain moisture and block sunlight, but will not be so deep as to kill them off.

Some final tips to planting your seeds:

• If your peat pellets get too wet, pour off the excess water and let them dry out for a day.
• Some seeds (like peas and beans) like being exposed to a little water before being planted. Soak them in a bowl for a few hours (or overnight) before planting. After the soak, look and see which have swelled up. If a pea swells up from the water, it's good to be planted. If it doesn't, it might be a dead seed.
• Some seeds have a very hard seed coat, which hinders germination. My best example is the Castor Bean plant. You can use a nail file to gently scrape away a tiny portion of the seed coat to allow moisture to penetrate. Don't file too deeply, though, as you can injure and kill the plant embryo within.
• A good rule of thumb is plant your seeds at a depth equal to their size. Very small seeds need shallow planting. Larger seeds like to be a bit deeper.
• For tiny seeds, use tweezers. Can't recommend this enough.
• Keep your seeds away from the cold. If you're starting seeds indoors it's probably because it's too cold outside. Be cautious of windows as these are often the colder areas of a house. Use a heating pad on its lowest setting if a boost of warmth is needed.
• Don't let your peat pellets dry out. Water them regularly. A spray bottle works wonders.
• Don't let your pellets get soggy. Avoid over-watering. Again, a spray bottle works wonders.
• If you have seeds with very different preferences (lettuce and spinach love moisture, but basil and tomatoes do not) consider planting them in separate containers, not just different sides of the same tray. That way you can water them without fear of ruining one group or the other.

Next up: Caring for your seedlings

Building a Seedling Tray with Grow Light

To those of you out there committed enough to growing plants from seeds, I salute you. While I find it harder than sticking a grown plant in the ground, I also find it many times more rewarding.
I've grown plants from seeds for a couple years now with mixed success and a general sense of improvement. The biggest boon to my efforts was a growth light/seed tray that we built. I know there are similar things out there that you can buy pre-made. We decided to make our own because we had a very particular space it needed to fit in. You can choose whatever works best for you.

Windowsill seed tray and growth light.

As you can see in the picture, this particular tray sits in our windowsill. That way it serves as a great seed starter in the spring and a plant tray throughout the winter.

Materials you need:

• 15 feet of 1x3" cedar boards
• An 18"x36" sheet of 1/8" thick plexiglass
• Hammer and nails or a nailgun (We used a nailgun)
• 24" two-bulb fluorescent light fixture
• 2 24" fluorescent grow lights
• 10 (approx) adhesive padded feet
• 16 Counter-sunk screws

Step by Step:

1.   The dimensions are 3 feet long, 18 inches wide, and 16 inches tall. Cut your wood to the following dimensions:

• 2 pieces at 36 inches (3 feet) long, with mitered ends. These are the long edges of the frame.
• 2 pieces at 18 inches (1 1/2 feet) long, with mitered ends. These are the short edges.
• 2 pieces at 16 inches long, with straight edges. These are the uprights.
• 1 piece at 36 inches (3 feet) long, with straight edges. This is the top log piece.
• Technically, you en up using 14 feet and 8 inches total, but some is lost in the cutting and the leftover bit is pretty minor.

2.   Assemble the base first using the 4 lengths with mitered ends. We used mitered ends (cut at a 45 degree angle) for ease of measurement and attachment. You can use straight edges if you prefer, but make sure you adjust your measurements to take that into account. We used three nails at each corner to secure the base. This seems flimsy, but once everything is assembled it becomes very sturdy.

 3.   Attach the uprights. Measure to the middle of the 18" base piece. Make sure you are at the exact center or your cross piece will not line up in the next step. The uprights attach to the outside of the base and line up flush with the bottom edge. As you can see in the picture, we used about 5 nails to secure the base of each upright.



4.   Attach the upper crosspiece. Attach the 36" flat ended crosspiece. It attaches to the inside of the uprights. Make sure your ends and flush for a more finished look.

5.   Attach the plexiglass base to the bottom of the frame. You want to use screws with a counter-sunk head. That means they have a V-shaped head when looked at from the side. This helps evenly secure the plexiglass without cracking. More importantly, the screw head itself sinks into the material. This prevents the screw head from sticking out and scratching your table/counter top. We used 16 screws (5 on the long sides, 3 on the short). We then added some adhesive padded feet to ensure that the base would not scratch our windowsill.

6.   Attach your light fixture. You can choose whatever type of light fixture you wish. We chose a 24" fixture that holds 2 fluorescent grow light tubes. Ours came with a 10 foot cord with an in-line switch, but every one is different. Shop around before you make your final decision and don't be afraid to ask the aides at the store for some suggestions. They can also give you advice on installation if you're unfamiliar with that.

 7.  Some final pointers:

I chose to work with cedar because it is lightweight and resistant to warping and decay. I know that this frame stays indoors and is relatively dry, but since it's around some water it was a better choice for longevity. You can use whatever wood you want, but I suggest some research first.

I wanted a plexiglass bottom because it is sooo easy to clean up. Again, not that I expect to have water everywhere, but it was better to play it safe. You can try alternate bottoms, but realize that this is the part of the frame most likely to get wet. I might try adding a sealant to waterproof things.

Some people use a heated pad for starting seeds. I don't, but if I ever do, I prefer the heating pad not to be directly on wood. This is another reason I went with plexiglass. Alternately, you can raise the frame up on legs if you want a space underneath for a heating pad.

And you're done! This setup works fantastic for myself, and I hope these plans can help you design your own.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

Grow Lights

One of the best things I ever got was a grow light for my plants. It makes such a difference that I will never go back to not using one. Grow lights are special light bulbs that come in a variety of styles and shapes, designed to mimic the optimal light that plants need to grow healthy.

Science time!

In the winter, many plants go dormant. This is for several reasons which include cold temperatures, low water availability, and poor lighting. When you have plants indoors, watering and keeping them from freezing are not difficult. However, maintaining optimal light levels can be more difficult. The standard unit of measurement for light is the lux.

I’ll give you a comparison. When the sun is directly overhead, the light intensity measures around 100,000 lux. On the other hand, your standard office lighting is about 300 lux. While it’s obvious that we don’t need the full intensity of the sun in order to be functional, you can see that full outdoor lighting and indoor lighting are hugely different.

Plants have adapted to a wide range of lighting conditions, from full sun to almost full shade. Most “house plants” are low light plants. If you’ve ever taken an outdoors plant inside to keep it going through the winter, you’ve seen what the effects of light starvation do to it.

Grow lights not only provide a boost of light intensity for your plants, but also the specific “type” of light that most closely mimics the sun. When we break it down, light is comprised of many wavelengths, and each wavelength corresponds to a visible color. When you combine all the different colors, you get white light. Break it back down and you get individual colors. Most of our household light bulbs emit very strong yellow tinted light because  it's relatively cheap and works well for human vision.

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Chlorophyll in plants performs best in red and blue light wavelengths. Green light provides little benefit.

Unfortunately, plants do not thrive in yellow light. The best lights for plants are in red and blue. Green is the worst (they look green to us because they reflect that color away). Red light tends to promote flowers and fruit production. Blue/violet light tends to promote vegetative growth, for fuller, bushier plants. There are many high-tech growers and researchers out there that use LED lights tuned to specific red and blue wavelengths to optimize plant growth.


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LED growth light tuned to red and blue/violet light.



You don’t need all that.

You can get what you need at your local hardware store. Household growth lights are cheap, easy to install, and do an excellent job. They simulate natural sunlight that plants are accustomed to. That is, they produce an intense white light, which contains all colors of the spectrum that your plants need. You can buy higher cost LED growth lights (don't let me stop you), but I've found that the cheaper ones do the job I need.

The easiest thing to do is replace one of your existing light fixtures with a grow light bulb. I used a reading light stand (one with an adjustable swivel arm) fitted with a grow light, for years. It made a noticeable difference for my plants. Later I switched to a fluorescent tube growth light.

Grow lights are also great for starting from seeds. I built a grow light tray, designed specifically for seedlings and smaller plants. Check out my next article HERE, for details on building a grow light tray.

A Time to Sow...

This is simultaneously the worst and the best time of the year for me. It’s great because spring is finally here, the weather’s warming up, and I can almost get outside to start working on the garden.
Almost. And that’s why it sucks. I’m ready NOW. I want to get things in the ground NOW. And we’re still a month or so away from the final frost date.

Resurrection Lilies, starting to sprout.

If you’re like me, you are also getting ready for your garden. You’re checking out the garden centers that are opening up everywhere. You’re clipping coupons and watching for the sales to start (which already have in some stores). You're wondering if you should pick up a couple marigolds because you're in the mood.

My suggestion? Stop yourself now. It’s too soon to plant most things outside. If we get another frost, you could lose everything. And unless you’re planning on playing the “Set the plants outside in the morning and bring them indoors at night” game, it’s just not worth it. Don’t worry. Everything will still be at the nursery in a month. Keep clipping those coupons though. That’s a good idea.

For those of you that have either seeds or plants that you plan on starting indoors, great! Now IS the time for that. As I’ve said earlier, seeds take on average 6-8 weeks to mature for outdoors planting. As always, this varies a bit depending on local conditions and what the weather patterns happens to be like.

Check out my article HERE, for starting your seeds.

~The Garden Geek

8 Steps to Getting your Garden Planted

So you’ve decided that this is it. This is the year to grow a garden. And it will be overflowing with flowers and gourmet vegetables and exotic spices.

 Great.

 So what’s the plan? You do have one, don’t you?

 No? That’s all right. Most people don’t. Let’s take a look at that.

    1.      What is your garden for?

Is this a kitchen garden or something more ornamental? (Although, it should be noted, some plants are decidedly both). Also, strictly speaking, you can have a combination of both. I don’t want to tell you that you can only have Basil or Zinnias. Just do what makes you feel happy. I do.

2.      Where are you going to plant your garden?

This depends greatly on the space available to you. Most people don’t want to convert their entire yard into a farm, which I totally understand. Sometimes you simply don’t have the space for a large garden. There are all sorts of tricks for growing things in uncommon locations, which I’ll talk about later.

Also ask yourself this: What is my yard like? It is sunny or shady? Is it a naturally humid location or dry as a desert? These things influence not only what you can plant (and keep alive), but when you can plant, and when you can expect results. The rule of thumb is that most gardens need about 6 hours of direct sunlight, but this varies a little bit by location and plant selection.

3.      Decide what you want to grow.

My second Christmas is when the garden catalogues start showing up. As I type this, I can spot about 6 garden magazines just from where I’m sitting. I’ve got pages of vegetables, herbs, and flowers marked out for ordering. Take some time and think about everything you want your garden to be producing.

Do you want to try canning tomatoes? Great! Take a look at the hundreds of tomato varieties out there. Some are better for canning than others. Do you want to grow something that’s showy and unique looking, to impress the neighbors? You can do that too. I’d suggest starting a list.

4.      Decide what to keep. What do you need?

Most likely you can’t grow everything you set your heart on. I know, I know. It would be great to have garlic and potatoes (Side note: Garlic mashed potatoes. Yum!) Where was I? Ah yes. It’s time to choose between the garlic and potatoes. And a bitter choice it is.

It’s time to narrow down the list to the essentials. If you’ve got extra room, great! You can plant those hybrid Asiatic lilies you’ve had your eye on. But if you’re like me, space is limited and every square inch is precious. I can’t tell you what you should plant, that’s your call.

Keep in mind step #2 when deciding what you want to keep. I would love to grow corn. I really would. If I had a space that would support it, corn would be my number one vegetable in my garden. Unfortunately, I have neither the physical space, nor a sunny enough location to support it. Do a little research and figure out what grows best in your area. Don’t be afraid to ask your local nursery for help and suggestions!

5.      Plan it out.

I have fallen prey to this before. This goes hand in hand with the previous step. If you have too much stuff to plant, it’s not going to work out.

If you buy plants from a nursery or even just the seeds, the label should indicate the spacing for your plants. As a first time planter, I cannot recommend enough that you follow these guidelines. I understand that you don’t want a flower bed with a single tulip plant in it, but crowding your plants is just as damaging. Like every living creature, plants need space to grow. What you don’t see is their roots competing with each other. You don’t always notice that a taller plant is shading out a shorter one.

By drawing out your plan, you will get an idea of how much space you have, where each plant will get located, and how many to buy. This will save you money! Do not follow in my footsteps and buy eight tomato plants only to find you have space for three. That was a very sad day, my friends. True story.

Take the time to measure out your space with a tape measure. I’ll talk more about planning things out later, but it’s a great idea to know the exact dimensions you’re working with. You’ll learn to eyeball your spacing with experience, but nothing beats a ruler and graph paper for the first time.

6.      Buy your seeds and plants.

If this is your first time gardening: Go with live plants. Without a shred of doubt in my mind, it is far easier to buy live plants for your garden. The plants from your local nursery have been growing for 6-8 weeks and are ready for outdoor planting right away. You also have the added benefit of selecting plants that already look healthy.

If you’re looking to be cost effective, you can grow plants from seeds. I just purchased my seeds for this year (more on that later), and spent a total of $47 on seeds and equipment. And that’s easily enough for dozens of plants. I hate to admit it, but you could spend the same on five plants at a greenhouse if you’re not careful.

However, growing seeds is… frustrating. While some seeds are easy to grow most are delicate, temperamental, and prone to a number of ailments. And that’s if they even decide to sprout. Then you have to acclimate them to the outdoors over time. Let’s just say it’s a process.

Bottom line is this: Buying live plants can be more expensive, but you will likely have better results. Buying seeds is cost effective, but you need to know what you’re doing. For first timers: Buy live plants. Experiment with some seeds on the side to get a feel for it.

7.      Figure out when to plant.

Every plant and area is different. The big this is to determine your local frost date. This determines when the last threat of frost has passed. It is probably later than you expect it to be. For the Chicago area, the frost date hovers around May 6^th. That is not to say you will get a frost on May 5^th, but not after. The frost date only indicates a reasonable date to expect no further frost.

Most plants also are coded by zone. You can look up planting zones HERE. You can also take your recent weather into account, but for a first time gardener, follow the recommended zone guidelines. Some plants, such as corn, do NOT like cold weather and should be planted about two weeks after the frost date, as cold soil can have a long term impact on your plant’s growth.

If you are planting from seed, you need to work backward from your planting date. Seeds planted indoors need about 6-8 weeks to mature before being transplanted outside. Kept indoors for too long and they can grow too lanky and fragile. Check your seed packets for instructions. Some seeds take the full 8 weeks, while some take much less. 6-8 weeks is only an approximate.

8.      Do it.

Don’t be intimidated by the amount of work. Most of the effort goes into the first days of planting. Once your plants are established, they require much less fuss.

Yes, you will be sore and tired. You will be using muscles that you normally don’t. But you’ll get over it, and hands-down nothing beats the sleep you get after a full day in the garden. I don’t want to imply that you should make things hard on yourself. Put on suntan lotion. Drink lots of water. Use those squishy knee pad things to prevent your joints from killing you. Take breaks if you need it. But it will get better and you will feel better for it.

~The Garden Geek

Who am I?

• I am an amateur gardening enthusiast.
• I have grown up in a family that cares about our yard and garden. I am not afraid to get dirty.
• I love growing things. For decoration or eating, I don't care. Growing things fascinate me.
• I have an unusual tendency to keep things alive for a fairly long time.
• I am patient. I have some plants growing that won’t produce food for a couple years yet.

This sums up my gardening experiences pretty well, I think. I’m a self/home taught gardener, who is always looking for something new and exciting to grow. Most of my family grows ornamental gardens, whereas I tend to grow more vegetables and herbs (the kitchen garden, if you will). From the moment snow starts melting until the first frost of Fall, I’m thinking about my plants.

I also have a degree in biology. This means I geek out a lot when I’m talking shop about plants. (Seriously, do you know how exciting Nitrogen Fixation is?) I love the science and the history behind various plants and planting styles. There are tons of household tricks to making your plants grow better, but I want to know why they work. And I want to pass that on to you.

I know too many people that try to start their own garden and give up after a season, or a month, or even a few days. Plants are not fast creatures, and the results of your care can be a long way off. I want you to know that what you are doing now makes a difference, even if you can’t immediately see it. I want you to know that doing something just a little bit different can make the difference between a tomato plant and one that actually produces tomatoes.

So how am I going to do this? I’m going to focus on my gardens this year. I’ll show you what I’m growing, what I do to it, and how I care for it. I’ll throw in some articles about things I find helpful or some neat ideas for designing your own garden. I'll talk about what I'm growing and how it's doing. I may even have some guest articles from some friends and family (we’ll see how that works out). I’ll do what I can to provide pictures, when available, and I’ll try to keep this updated regularly. When the season’s over, I’ll talk about harvesting and preparing your plants for the winter.

I can't promise my garden will be perfect. It's a learning process, and I'll be the first to admit, I haven't learned everything there is about gardening. What I can promise is that whatever happens, I'll learn from it and pass it along. Should be a fun ride, I think.

So. Let's get started.

~The Garden Geek