Finished!

First of all, let's start this post with a finished object, my latest sailor hat. 

Yarn:  Mainstays

Colorway:  Blue Blend

Pattern:  Basic Beanie

Needles:  US 8

Now, on to the pièce de résistance, my jury rigged grow light system!  

I put it together this morning, and yes, those are what you think they are.  In case you can't see them, they are used coffee pods and a baking rack.  It gets the grow light about an inch to an inch and a half from the seedlings, which is so much better than the three inches the other one kept it at.  And as the plants grow, I can stack more coffee pods to raise it up a bit.  

Then I added a funnel, so I can add water to the tray without having to take the whole thing apart or splashing water all over the place.  It has the added advantage of not disturbing the little plants, either.

I'll keep a bit of water in the bottom of the tray so the sponges should stay hydrated, even if the tops get dry.  Bottom watering is the best way, because it encourages the roots to grow deep, which makes for a healthier plant. Since I started watching that channel on YouTube, I've been learning so much.  It might make a gardener out of me yet. 

Speaking of, I went outside and piddled a bit in my garden spot this morning before the storms arrived. 

I wasn't going to take a picture at first.  You've seen dirt before, but I gave in and did it anyway.  Because apparently, I don't think you've seen dirt enough.  We got a pretty good rain this afternoon, so we can see how it settles and if there are any more spots I need to work on.  Then, once it dries out a bit, I can put those last two beds together and get them into place and start filling them with dirt.  By then, it'll be planting time!  Mid April is when it's deemed safe here.  

While I was outside,  I checked on my other things, and they're all starting to grow quite nicely.  

This is the orange mint.  Or whatever it is.  

And the Peppermint.

My French Tarragon

Even my Greek oregano is making an appearance.

The garden sage:

I'd originally thought about cutting that big dead looking stem on the left, but as you can see, it's putting out new growth, too, so I'm leaving it for now.  

My lemon balm is really coming on. 

The rosemary is looking a bit ragged, but I'm hoping it'll perk up a bit once summer gets here.  

The celery got bit hard by the ice storm, and honestly, I doubt it'll ever grow enough to make any edible stalks, but hey, it's fun to watch it. 

The garlic looks a bit ragged right now, but I'm hoping the bulbs are OK.  Maybe it'll perk up, too.  

By the way, that empty spot in the middle is where I want to plant another rosemary.  It's a very popular herb.   It'll sell well at the Farmer's Market -- fresh or dried. 

And, it's not an herb, but look at this!  I have buds on my bluebonnets!!!!

 

Hooray for that!

And this crazy thing thinks it's still Christmas.  

On a completely unrelated note, I think I'm going to drop Netflix again.  I picked it up last year to watch that documentary on the Joplin tornado, but really, after the newness wore off, the only thing I'm watching now is Call The Midwife and Heartland reruns.  I did finally finish Squid Game, and started Cobra Kai, but that one isn't holding my interest that much.  Netflix does have some good documentaries, but there are so many free streaming services, I can find plenty to watch without paying for an extra service. 

That's why I dropped it in the first place.  

Eh, we'll see.  

But for now, there is a new season of Call The Midwife up on PBS, so that's what I'm going to watch.  That, and All Creatures Great And Small.  

Bye for now.