Plans for Summer

Lately I've gotten so frustrated that the weather doesn't seem to be warming up much. Looking out the window the weather has been nice and sunny for the most part, but step outside and you freeze! Today is actually a nice day though, the kind of day you can feel the sun warm you up just a little. I decided today was the day to introduce my little morning glory to the outside world for the afternoon.

While we were home over Christmas my mom gave me some morning glory seeds and after researching, I planted one. I found a really neat link on making cheap homemade seeds pots, and don't laugh, but I planted it in a toilet paper roll, which worked really well. On January 16th I planted the seed and in two days the seed had sprouted. By Day 3 the little sprout had grown up almost an inch and had two tiny leaves on the end! The past few days I noticed the two bottom leaves were turning yellow and I thought I'd killed it, but turns out thats normal and they'll be falling off soon, giving way to hardy leaves and dark purple flowers this summer.

I thought I'd jumped the gun and planted the morning glory too early in the year and that it might not survive until the weather warms up enough to replant outside, but it seems to be doing well and I think it will make it. Yesterday I took it out of the tp roll and transplanted it in a little pot to give it more room to grow. Once the weather warms up enough I plan to transplant it one more time into big terra cotta pots on our balcony and let it grow up a trellis. I planted a moon flower vine and black-eyed susan vine tonight as well. Last spring we planted some petunias in hanging baskets and they did pretty well, but nothing like our downstairs neighbor's. This year I'll be planting morning glory, black-eyed susan vine, moon flower vine, tomatoes and who knows what else on our balcony.

Black-Eyed Susan Vine, Moonflower Vine, Tumbling Tom Tomatoes

This morning I ordered a packet of Tumbling Tom Tomato seeds. Its a "weeping-form tomato that trails up to 2 feet from hanging baskets, every inch studded with 1-to 2-inch fruit" so they claim. We'll see what happens.

I can't wait to have our own backyard. I told Josh once we have our own place, I'm going to be that lady digging around in her backyard with gardening gloves and a big floppy straw hat.