I can grow things

It's officially spring here in Calgary. We've had beautiful sunny days, and long golden evenings. Ducks are waddling about and quacking away, birds are chirping and gathering grass for their nests, and Boyfriend and I have been taking long walks around the community. 

I've had this fantasy where I have a garden and many houseplants, including an herb garden and fruit bearing trees. I've decided that my first spring in our new house would be the perfect time to start learning how to grow things.

Here's the thing. I'm great at taking care of animals. I've saved a number of animal lives, and taking care of them is what makes me tick. I love animals and I'm damn good at keeping them alive. Plants, however, prove to be a different story. I kill plants. 

I love receiving flowers, but they always seem to die prematurely as I'll forget to water them regularly and don't trim the stems. I think that perhaps a cactus garden would be more my level, but I've taken on the challenge of growing delicate green things that need care and attention. 

In terracotta pots that serve as my indoor herb garden containers, I planted basil, parsley, dill, and rosemary. After weeks of watering dirt and feeling discouraged, I've noticed that my herbs are growing! Basil was the first to pop up, followed by dill (which can't figure out what direction to grow in and tries to go back into the dirt). Parsley-- and lots of it-- popped up this morning. Still waiting on the rosemary to sprout.

In addition to my herbs, I started some of my garden veggies in jiffy pots indoors. So far I've started my peppers, butternut squash, and lettuce. They're in a homemade green house, in my kitchen. I've put the jiffy pots in an old plastic muffin container, and put the little green house over a heating pad. 2 jiffy pots have sprouting lettuce in them. I can't wait for my peppers and squash to come up. 

Today I purchased a butternut squash at the grocery store. I put the squash by the greenhouses so the butternut squash seeds would have a role model to look up to. My mother thought I was full-blown looney toons after I told her this.

I'm still not sure when to start my garden outdoors. Calgary weather is weird, and I feel like we still have another snowstorm coming. It always snows on May Long Weekend. With my luck I'd plant all my seeds and transplant the sprouts just to have it snow overnight and kill them all. 

Just when you think winter is finally behind you...

I plan on completing my garden with tomatoes, carrots, beets, peas, pumpkin, cantaloup, and strawberries.This is incredibly exciting for both Boyfriend and I. We can't wait to just pick food out of our backyard. Plus, I feel proud that I can grow things! Now maybe my garden will impress Boyfriend enough for him to let me get a bunny. I need a pet bunny.

My bunny will, of course, but adopted from a shelter. Pet stores have no need to sell bunnies. There are so many bunnies waiting for homes. Always make sure to spay or neuter your pet rabbit! This isn't an option-- get them fixed!!!!