Reconnecting with the earth

I realized today that three of my four paper-towel-sown varieties are happily sprouting - the poppies, the valerian, and the parsley (yes, I sowed parsley, too). Following cousin Elizabeth's advice that poppies don't like to be transplanted, I created these sort of biodegradable seedling cups from a plastic egg carton lined with old tissue paper (thank you, Jen). It would have been even easier with a paper egg carton, but one must make do with what is given.

I made a very simple flat soil, following the recipe outlined in the biointensive gardening bible, How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons: one part sifted compost, one part soil from the garden. I didn't even bother sifting the compost but just broke it up through my fingers, since I needed only a small amount for now. I filled the egg carton with this potting soil – packing it just enough so that it doesn't really move around (the best soil is 50% air) – and delicately pressed what poppy seeds had germinated into the cups of soil. I set them by the window. Pictures soon.

I've started constructing my cold frame (or mini-greenhouse for seed propagation). I got two beautiful, big old windows for free from good old Freecycle (damn, they even delivered them for free!). I'm using my compost pile for the north wall, which will not only protect the cold frame from the wind but also hopefully absorb daylight to be released slowly overnight. I will detail the construction of this cold frame when I have made some real progress and taken some pictures. I guess the poppies will be guinea pigs of this device.