growing up

That's what they're doing, my snap peas that is. I found some old seeds under the kitchen sink (I'm talking 2-3 years old). Not being one to give up on things, I thought I'd give them a try.

E and I scooped soil into these egg cartons outside. I chose to use these cardboard cartons partly out of necessity (didn't want to buy plastic) and partly because the cartons can be planted right in the ground since they are biodegradable.

I had three kinds of seeds: chives, peas, and peppers. After nearly a month, it looks the chives and peppers are...done. But the peas are thriving! I can't wait until it's warm enough to get these in the ground. I've also got some other seeds (carrots, squash, and butterfly weed) that I'm going to sow directly in the ground in early May. Those aren't old, so there should be more survivors!

I thought this would also be a good time to refer to my to-do list. Let's see: in the last two months I've accomplished a couple of things and got a jump on some things, too. But as you can see, there's still plenty to do. If you see ( ) below, it means I'm actively working on it...

The Ultimate Spring Fever To-Do List:

( ) Remove the nasty English Ivy from under my hedge row
( ) Re-establish a border for my front garden, use branches from our Beech tree
Incorporate a dirt-digging pile for E somewhere in the backyardBuild a sand box for E
( ) Get plans for a cool fort/playhouse (if not this year then next)
Create a little table/chairs area for E to do outside art projects
Remove more English Ivy from the fence in the back yard
( ) Rearrange and transplant perennials in the back garden
Pot several more herbs with E to use in our cooking (rosemary, tarragon, oregano)
Divide and share our Lemon Basil
( ) Give strawberries and tomatoes another go; plant some more peppers, plus peas, carrots, and squash
Relocate the crazy pumpkin sprouts to the back yard and up a trellis if possible
Convince my neighbor to take care of her horrible English Ivy situation creeping into my yard!

Additions to the list:

( ) Relocate cobblestone edging to create an edible garden
Relocate flagstone to create E's art area
( ) Hand seed the yard where there are bare spots
Plant climbing vine or plant in pots with trellises on either side of the front door
( ) Make new chair cushions and pillows for patio seating

The sad thing is that I could still go on and on about more things I'd like to do in the yard. I will try to keeping the plants growing and the to-do list shrinking...