While we were off gallivanting, my dad was starting seeds for us {thank you, Poppy!} Now those seeds are happy little plants, ready to be transplanted to bigger pots. Their next home will be the real ground outside but for now they’re happily living in our warm and sunny greenhouse. I would happily live in the greenhouse too, if I could. It was 95 degrees in there the other day!

Outside the glassed-heaven, it’s a different story. In fact, it snowed last night. But the winter-like weather hasn’t stopped a few brave perennials from popping up:

A bumblebee! That’s a sure sign that warmer temps are on their way…..Until then, though, I’ll be in the greenhouse:

How to Transplant Seedlings:

Fill your planters with potting soil. We use organic potting soil that has some peat mixed in with it, but does not have anything else in it {no MiracleGrow or anything}.

Moisten the potting soil a little, so it sticks together when you press it- and let it sit for a few minutes.

Use your finger to make a small hole in the center of each planter, about 1 1/2 inches deep.

Hold your seedling by the leaf {never the stem} and carefully separate it from the bunch. I use a small knife for this, because the roots of each seedling are usually entwined with its neighbors roots, and you need to carefully sever them. If the roots on any given seedling are longer than two inches, you can trim the roots with the knife. This will help the seedling to not get too “leggy”.

Place the seedling into one of the holes you created. Gently poke the roots down into the hole with a pencil or your finger, and fill in the hole with potting soil. Press the seedling down so that it is secure and stands on its own.

Let the newly transplanted seedlings rest for several hours before watering them. They need lots of sunlight and water over the next week in order to survive, so watch them closely and move them around the house if necessary to ensure they get enough light. If you have a grow light, even better!

And now, a little tribute to our Sunshine {our dog Charlie} who brightens our day every day, no matter how winter-like it is outside.