The beginning

This is my seedling tray! It's hard to grow seeds outdoors, so putting them in a seedling tray like this gives them a sheltered (and warm) environment to start.


These are all of the seeds that I planted. I can't even tell you how excited I was to buy all of these!!

I have always loved gardening. When I was a kid, I dug up the weeds in a strip of dirt on the side of our house and planted vegetables. My Ciocia (aunt) Marilyn taught me about gardening - composting, how to take the plants out of the plastic containers and gently untangle the roots before planting them - and grew all sorts of vegetables herself, which she has shared liberally (and deliciously) over the years.

I have lived in apartment buildings for the past five years, and had my own patch of dirt outside only one of them. I recently moved into a grand old Victorian townhouse in DC, and one of my motivations for leaving the apartment lifestyle behind was so I could have my own little patch of earth and plant a garden.

My landlord gave me permission to dig up the front yard, so that is exactly what I did last weekend. I spent about 2.5 hours digging up the earth, removing old landscaping fabric and the root systems of old plants, weeds, and other random things that somehow end up in yards in the city (lighter or nicotine gum, anyone?) I planted the seeds tonight and they should start to sprout within the next 1-3 weeks.

I am beyond excited. Yes, I am a dork. But there is something deeply satisfying about growing your own vegetables and flowers. It is my first experience growing a garden on the East Coast, in an urban setting, and in the front yard of a house on a busy street. I live in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of DC, which is a lovely neighborhood of families and young people (and lots of angsty hipsters, but that's another story).

Thanks for checking out what's blooming in Bloomingdale :)


What I planted:

Vegetables
Sweet bell peppers
Baby Pak Choi
Heirloom pole beans (Rattlesnake & Purple Pole)
Chile peppers - "Southwestern Trio"
Cucumbers - "bush" variety
Heirloom mini tomatoes - red & yellow pear
Peas
Gourmet Golden beets
Golden chard

Herbs
Basil
Lavender
Dill
Rosemary

Flowers
Sunflowers
California poppies