Seedlings Waiting

So winter is fighting with spring this year.  Some days the trees outside are dripping sap into the barrels, most days they are not.  Today it rained for 8 hours, then snowed for 4 hours.  Temps tonight will drop down to about 20 degrees.  For a while there were some bare spots in the yard, showing dead leaves and a bit of green from antique irises that managed not to freeze out under the snow.  My seedlings are all waiting inside.

The top photo there is of Galina tomatoes.  For those who know and care, IND, PL, yellow cherry.  <grin>

I have a couple hundred lettuce seedlings ready to go in as soon as there is soil that can be worked.  I will direct seed a lot as well, but this gives  a running head start on eating green things that are not frozen or canned.

Only plants I have potted up so far is the cabbages.  I really need to get on to the tomatoes, and I will, but just have not yet.

The Joe Lauerer tomatoes pictured above are really starting to outgrow the flat I started them in.

I started some basil much earlier than I usually do, and a second flat later, but the first seeding of them is just starting to show a set of true leaves.

The Beaver Dam peppers had really good germination considering the seeds were 5 years old.  Better than 70% and I am happy about that.  Have wanted to try them previous to this, but between misplacing the seeds I was sent, to really running out of places to put them (peppers cross much more easily than tomatoes do, and do to heat levels, that can be a very undesirable thing) it was not until this year that I have a good isolated place.  Not doing a ton of hot peppers this year because I grew about a 4 year supply last year for dry and hot sauce.  These I want to try as a middle ground pickling pepper for sandwich slices.  Have only heard good things, but waiting to see myself how they do here.

And that is where things are.  Due to cold weather I do not have enough maple sap yet to warrant cooking it down, though on the warmest days it is running.  Have not been blogging much, because not much is happening on the gardening side.  I do an hour or two of PT and swimming 5 days a week in hopes of really being in proper shape to be doing the gardens ourselves this year, and helping those who helped us the last two years.  I had a birthday since my last post, and I can honestly say that I feel younger now, than I did at this time last year.  A few more gray hairs though.  I think I earned them.