Started zinnias -- a whole bunch (in paper towels)

Talls:
- almost all are from last year's collected seeds that were collected from my 2018 plants
- the exception is the yellow, which I didn't have any last year, so these were from the 2018 plant which was from a package -- so, it will be interesting to see if the yellows will actually be yellow

Shorts:
- all shorts are from seeds collected last year from 2019 bought plants

All are nicely labelled in separate paper towels / baggies and I hope to keep track of them all throughout planting, to see if this year's flowers will be the same colour as their "parent".

Potted all tomatoes and ground cherries

Potted up:

3 x tomato Sweetie
3 x tomato tofusteak
3 x tomato "medium"

6 x ground cherry

Some of the lettuce and turnips are up

At one point, Charlie walked all over the bed, so there are little paw indentations all over.  Hopefully things will grow ok regardless.

~12 sprouted garlic cloves appeared in various places! Put some into a container

Wow, about 12 garlic cloves have sprouted up in places I didn't plant them!

- the SW area where some grew last year
- two on the north side of the compost bin
- two in the remaining ceramic pot!!

I wonder how they got there, especially the planter and compost ones.

Moved all of the ones from the SW area into other spots, namely the north bed where the rest are, and put four into a plastic container, as a test.

Left the ceramic pot and compost ones, as a test.

Started tomatoes (three kinds) in paper towels

Started these three kinds:

- Sweetie from the package
- Beefsteak from the package (from the foil pack collection)
- "medium" size tomato from seed collected in 2018

Started ground cherries (in paper towel)

Yep!

Waited almost two weeks longer this year, since last year it seemed too early and they got stunted in the containers.

Potted into soil the basil, button flower, and more parsley

As the title says.

Sowed in paper towels: basil (one kind only); purple button flower; bidens flower

Basil:  Decided this year to only grow one kind, the Genovese seeds I bought online a month or two ago.

Purple button flower:  I liked this flower last year, which I bought; these are seeds I collected last year from that plant.

Bidens (orange/yellow):  Again, collected last year from a plant I bought last year.

Sowed poppy seeds outside

In front of the fence.  West most "patch" is the dark-centered (my favourite); central "patch" is the neutral-centred; and east most "patch" is the white-centered.

Method:  Just lightly brushed off leaves/mulch etc., then sprinkled on some clean soil from yard; then sprinkled the seeds on top.  Did not cover with any soil.  Watered with water bottle "sprinkler".

These are seeds from ones collected in 2018.  Used up all of the seeds.  If none take / if I don't get to collect seeds from these, then oh well, will buy seeds next year.

No sign yet of tuberous begonias

No sign at all, from either of them.  Will keep waiting, and seeing.

Started lettuce and turnips outside, for fast food re: covid-19

Started three kinds of lettuce, and turnips, in the kitchen door bed.

I don't normally grow these -- and have never tried growing turnips --  but had the seeds (from the "Survival Seeds" kit of a few years ago, ironically enough) so figured why not, some fast-growing fresh food to help avoid trips to the grocery store during this pandemic.

The hopes is it will grow to harvestable size by the time I need the bed for the zucchinis.
--> 12 July 2020 update:  Yes, this worked great!

Although, even when it's time to put the zucchinis in, the zukes will be so small that only a small number of the lettuce/turnips would need to be removed, at first.
--> 12 July 2020 update:  Yes!  That's what I did, removed only as needed to transplant the zukes, then gradual removal/harvest of lettuce as zucchinis grew.  Left a few of each variety to go to seed for seed collection.

The round 1 broccolis definitely look OFF

Sigh.  All of the round 1 broccolis definitely look off.

- little specks on the leaves
- yellow tinge to the leaves
- burnt spot
- leaves tending to curl
- growth slowing
- failure to thrive

Not sure why yet.

Reminds me of the tomatoes last year.

For now they've been moved to the top shelf.

These were planted in my first bag of soil, the blue one.

I've now put away the blue bag and will only use the new bags I bought.

Started more parsley

Started more of the Italian parsley (the flat-leaved one), in case the first starts go to seed prematurely since they're growing so quickly.

Potted round 2 broccoli

Potted 6 of the round 2 broccolis.

These are in one of the new bags of soil, "Home Gardener", mixed with vermiculite.

Snow nearly all gone from yard

Nearly all of the snow is gone from the yard.

Only some icy hard snow left in the SW section.

Potted up chards into soil

Wow, the fordhook variety went gangbusters sprouting, almost all have sprouted now so I transplanted them.

The Italian variety is slower; four sprouted/transplanted so far.

Oh no!!! Does one of the broccolis have signs of thrips??!!?!?!

Say it ain't so!!! 

One of the broccolis has a crimped leaf, and slightly yellowing tinge overall on the plant.

Had a close look at it but couldn't find anything crawling around...  will keep a close eye.

Started chard in paper towel

Started two kinds of chard, in paper towels:

- fordhook

- some Italian variety

(Both are left-over seeds from previous years)

Ate the last of the carrots

Ate the last two carrots.  They had held up well.  Amazing they last so long just sitting in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Broccoli sprouted! Potted into soil.

Wow, the paper towel broccoli have already started sprouting!

Potted 5 containers with 2 in each. Will thin to 1 per plant later.