Bedroom Greenhouse

Relief today -- it is in the 50s and sunny, and some of the old snow is melting.

I sowed seeds indoors today. This time I made a corner of the bedroom into a greenhouse station.

Last year I did them in the basement, but it is cold down there, and dark, and I had to remember to switch the grow lights on and off, and traipse up and down to check things, and carry water down.

In the bedroom I can constantly see what's happening, monitor the lights, and it is warmer.

I just have to be neat and careful not to spill anything. It's unattractive, but, oh well.

I sowed:

• Black Beauty dahlias -- lots of them. They did well for me last year, grown from seed.
• Zinnias -- Lilliput Mix, colorful pompoms about two feet tall, not as tall as Cut & Come Again, but similar in look and color.
• Nicotiana alata -- a red one called Perfume Red.
• Morning glories -- purpurea mix that was a free packet with my order. Purples and mauves.
• Dahlia variabilis -- a pom pom dahlia that was free. I only planted one (they look a lot like the zinnias)

I had old seed from last year and planted several orange butterfly weed and one little red Hummingbird Texas sage. We'll see if it is still viable.

I also sowed the Yellow Gleam nasturtiums in larger cow pots so that they can be moved whole into their garden spots. Nasturtiums don't like to be transplanted.

I want nice big plants for early summer; last year the nasturtiums I sowed directly in the garden took their time and did not bloom until late September.

Here's a picture of Nasturtium azureum
from Dave's Garden

And here is a weird thing: I planted the blue nasturtiums, Tropaeoleum azureum. The instructions were to put them in damp potting mix and then into a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for 6 weeks or more! Then take them out and wait another month for them to sprout.  Really?

So that's what I did.  The seeds were tiny, not at all like big round nasturtium seed balls.

A little research tells me that these are fussy, hard to germinate and difficult to grow.

They may not bloom the first year, and need a full year to form tubers. They need deep pots for the tubers to start. Yikes.

These are tender perennials and will have to stay in pots, I think, then brought in over winter. They don't take off for blooming until year two.

I need to rethink planting them with the yellow Gleam trailing nasturtiums on the twig towers. I think these should be in pots on their own, maybe on the patio.

And another picture of Nasturtium azureum

Hmmm.

I really should have done some research before an impulse buy of blue nasturtiums. But surprises are fun too, and seeds are cheap!