Gardening 201- Winter Sowing

This post originally aired on February 20, 2013. Since I've seen many of you on FB and IG talking about growing some of your own produce this year. I wanted to share it again.


You've chosen seeds, you have a great idea about where to put your garden...but what? It's only 11 degrees outside? (Or twenty, or forty.)

Never fear, enter winter-sowing! We live in Indiana. Where most people don't get enough sunlight in the winter, and it can be really difficult to start seeds indoor without grow-lights. So what to do, what to do? 

Last winter my friend introduced me to a great blog "A Garden for the House." Kevin has WAY more time than I have, for cooking, blogging, & gardening, but I love his advice on winter-sowing. You can go directly there from this link if you still have questions when I'm finished today: http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/category/gardening/winter-sowing/

The general idea is this: start your seeds outdoors, in little greenhouses made of recycled milk-jugs. Since it'll be too cold for anything to grow for a little while, they'll just sit and wait. Once it starts to warm up outside, your seeds will be all ready to go, you'll just need to keep an eye on when they need water.

Here's last year's lettuce on March 16th

By the end of March it was already big enough to eat! Our "frost-free" date here is May 1st, so we were WAY ahead of the game.

We did this for the first time last year and had the best tomato starts I have ever gotten from seeds. Short and stocky!


Now I'm going to show you how I winter-sow. I do it a little differently than on agardenforthehouse, but it's just a few tweeks of my own.

First- save LOTS of empty (washed out) milk and OJ jugs! We had 28 so far, but I'll probably end up starting 40 mini greenhouses total this year, so I'll keep saving them!

Next up, gather your supplies: you'll need: jugs, a tray to pot on, some newspaper to catch your mess, seeds, potting soil, a BLACK sharpie, duck tape, a sturdy knife & kitchen scissors. An empty box to put down when you are cutting is a plus.

Then, punch at least 4 drainage holes inthe bottom of each jug (do this first to ALL of them so you won't forget it!) I punch the knife in, and then twist it. It makes a hole about the size of a writing pen.

After that, you'll need to use your sturdy knife to cut a slit in one side, I like to put it in the middle of a side that adjoins the handle. Do this step for several jugs at a time, them move to the next step.

The following step is to use your scissors to make the slit wrap around all but the part under the handle, this will be your hinge!

Now to the messy part. Mix up your potting soil nice and muddy. On days when the weather breaks, I do this outside in a 5 gallon bucket. But since it was 45 and windy, I did it inside in an old ice cream bucket.

Now put soil in the bottom about 2-3" deep and plant your seeds according to the package. For small things like lettuce, you can plant a few dozen per jug. For plants you want to grow big and stocky (like tomatoes) limit yourself to 4 per jug. 

Use your duck tape (whatever color you have on hand) to tape shut the two sides opposite the handle-hinge. Notice the drip-tray to catch (at least most of) the wet, soggy soil leaking out the drainage holes!

LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! Use a black sharpie (other colors fade too soon) and mark what you planted in each jug & the date you planted it. After all, those tomato plants are all going to look alike when they are still small!

Finally, put your jug greenhouses outside in your garden spot (whether it's ready yet or not!) 

Today I only started 10 greenhouses, but I didn't want to go dig in the garage for more potting soil, so the next time it's warm(er) out, I'll get a lot more started. 

Don't be discouraged if you aren't ready for this because you don't have your seeds yet. It will still be helpful to start your plants in March or April the same way. I'm starting mine now for 2 main reasons: 1- I want fresh lettuce ASAP, & 2- I'll be doing a lot of these, so spreading them out makes it more enjoyable!

Dreaming of fresh tomatoes!

Thanks to Arlene for being my photographer for the day!

And then there were none

Once there was a mom with two daughters. She homeschooled them and loved on them, and even made dinner pretty regularly. Her husband went to work, and came home to see what the girls had learned. She worked outside the home too, but a lot of the world didn't understand how that was possible. She wasn't too sure herself, but knew that she carried on by God's grace alone.

Then one of those little girls grew up and went to college, then the other one did too.

And now there were no little girls to homeschool. And the world changed.

Well, really, the world didn't change that much, but the mom did.

So many possibilities, so many struggles over, and new ones to come. It was time for a change in her life - but which change? 

Perhaps you've deduced by now that the mom in our story is me - good for you! I dedicated 16 years of my life to homeschooling our daughters. My husband thinks I should be running out to get a full time job. He doesn't realize that I've had two full time jobs for 16 years, well, truly, three jobs.

I feel a little like General Waverly in White Christmas. You know the part where Bing Crosby sings "What do you do with a General, when he stops being a General?" 

What do you do with a homeschooling mom who is done and wants to change direction? I feel vastly under-qualified for many jobs I would love to have, and vastly over-qualified for many of the ones I see open to me.

I really enjoy my current job. As in I like it - a lot! But is that all I should be doing? Is my husband right? Am I being silly or selfish, or am I right where God wants me to be?

I also want to write. But this book writing thing is a long-term commitment. And while I've gotten the first chapter out of my head and started on the second, I think I need a re-write because I'm not satisfied with the tone of my writing. Funny isn't it? I'm often able to re-write what others say, and make it clearer and more enjoyable to read, but I'm currently struggling with how to re-write my own words.

It has been over a year since our youngest graduated. What comes next? Do I go back to school? Do I look for a writing job that pays now, but might put my book writing on hold? Do I look for a different day job that I might not love as much as my current one because it offers different benefits? I don't know. There are so many variables in this life. 

There is one thing I do know - God is right here with me. He can and will lead me where I need to go. I want to be attuned to His presence and His direction. I don't want to step ahead or fall behind. 

There is something else - I know I want to make a difference in this world. So each day I ask Him to lead me to one person that I can point to Him. One person I can show God's love to. Some days He brings a lot more than just one.

So now there are none left in our little homeschool. A few books to pass on, a few books to sell, and a lot of time to think. Funny how you struggle to find time to think when you're busy educating a child. Today I've thought a lot and not come up with any answers. Tonight I'll go back before the presence of my Heavenly Father, my Abba, Daddy in prayer and ask for direction. One step. That's all I need light for today, just the next step.

If you're in the middle of a time of change - spend it in prayer. God won't leave you to drift aimlessly - He will direct your path - one step at a time.

After

What happens after?

After a movie is over

After a workday is completed

After a child graduates

After a change in careers

After a closed door

After a rejection letter

After a frustrating conversation

After an afternoon of sunshine 

After Spring arrives and flowers bloom

______________

Is it wrong to be content where you are?

Do other people misunderstand or underestimate you?

Is life filled with confusion?

_______________

Do you know you are loved by God?

You are valuable, you are loved, you are a child of God.

What happens after is sometimes good and gentle and kind. At other times the thing that happens after is filled with hurt and confusion. 

We live our lives in a constant state of befores and afters. We choose how to respond to each change, each question, each questioning by others.

We can choose to accept that we are loved by God, or we can choose to reject this truth.

Can I change the world? Maybe not.

Can I change my corner of the world with His love? Definitely!

Plan

When you were younger, did you have a plan for your life?

How did that work out for you? Is life following your plan, or does God have a better plan for you?

I know life can be so difficult at times. I was thinking earlier today about how many people meet God during a mountaintop experience. I don't really know what that is like. God has always met me in the valleys of trials and refining. I'm not complaining, I'm just stating. 

Life gets complicated, and while it might be nice to have a mountaintop experience with God, I am so thankful for all those valleys He has led me through. I feel like I'm standing at another juncture. Do I go right or left? This valley or that one?

God has a plan, I'm asking Him to reveal it to me, one step at a time. Trying to make my own plan is hard. Trusting God's plan is easier. If you're also at a juncture - let me encourage you to seek God's face. Ask Him for direction - to light up the next step so you can take it. Then ask Him for grace to accept whatever happens in that shift in your life.

My plans are small. God's plans are huge. I'm glad to be a small part of a huge plan. How about you?

Story

Life is not lived along a line
from here to there

It twists and turns
goes up and down
and all around the bends and berms

You stretch and reach
while others teach
how to get past roadblocks
and doors that are locked

Life is not lived along a line
from here to there

Life travels cross the oceans wide
while emotions try to hide
your frustrations and desires

You feel your breath escape
as mountains challenge
and valleys quake

At times you wonder 
where is there?
And can I ever reach it?

Life is a journey
that is sure 
to test you and to try

But along the paths
you find some friends
and joy is found again

You do not wish for here or there
instead enjoying the in-betweens
where life is lived in full

Those twists and turns
become your story
that leads another forward

You become the one
who offers hope
of life with meaning
when words tell your story

Today

Today

I am not willing to let this day slip away

I will not allow anyone besides God to define me

I will choose the path less taken, and find the wonder along the way. I will choose joy.

Love will come easily, smiles will come soften.

I will remember that I am a child of God and that is where my worth comes from - not from material things or the opinions of others.

Today I will be free, and find out who I really am.

Today I choose me.

Lent

Many people think of Lent as a Catholic observance, if they think of it at all. Perhaps they only know it as that thing that happens after Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras. Lent has been observed in both Catholic and Protestant churches as a time of reflection and preparation before Easter. Most scholars agree that Lent in its traditional sense began around 325 A.D. after the Council of Nicea.

Most of today's Evangelical churches rarely observe Lent. I personally see it as more of an individual choice, because it is more about the inner workings of your Christian life than about the outward observation of the season before Easter.

I grew up in a denominational church that observed Lent, but not as deeply as my friends who grew up Catholic did. It has left me with a unique perspective. While my Christian faith is much more about my daily walk with Jesus than about the outward show of religion, I find both comfort and challenge in the liturgy of church history and worship.

What does it mean to me to observe Lent as a Protestant, and how might this become something beneficial to all of us? That's what I'm hoping to share today.

Traditionally Lent is seen as the season of giving up: sweets, movies, bad habits and the like. But while these can be a positive step towards a deeper walk with God, if they only last for the 40 days/ six weeks of Lent what good are they to us? I prefer to look at Lent as a season to start something new and beneficial in my life. It is a time to create good habits that can continue long after the Easter Sunday celebration is over.

What might Lent look like?

Making daily time to read my Bible - every single day, not just more days than not. 

Choosing to hand-write out a verse that God used to speak to me from that day's reading.

Writing an encouraging note to a friend or a co-worker.

Making the best choice for my lunch selection out of my available options.

Choosing to spend more time listening to my kids than talking at them.

Taking a walk every evening and spending that time in prayer for others.

These are just a few of the things I've done, or seen others do, during Lent in recent years. 

Right now a pretty popular Lenten practice is 40 bags in 40 days. It is the idea of purging out the things you don't need from your home and giving the ones that still have value to those in need. It sounds like a great idea to me. Can you imagine if you had 40 bags' less stuff in your home when it came time to clean the week before Easter?

Since we've already been purging for the past two months, we might not come up with 40 bags' worth - but I think it's worth a try anyway. Getting rid of unused things and donating the good we find can remind us of Jesus' commands to love one another and care for those in need. As you clean you can thank God for His provision of what you truly need, and ask Him to bless those who will receive your extra: clothes, toys, books, etc.

The practice of Lent is about drawing closer to God, reflecting on His sacrifice through Jesus, and allowing Him to work in our hearts. It's about letting God direct our paths for each day, whether that means volunteering more in your community, saying a kind word to a co-worker, or drinking more water to improve your health. It is something we do without drawing a lot of attention to ourselves, because it traditionally points to Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the wilderness.

Lent is not about sorrow, but about trust.

Can you set aside a little extra time each day for the next six weeks for God? Will you prayerfully consider what He might be calling you to give up or begin as a way to draw closer to Him, to understand His will? If yes, then Lent sounds like a great time to start. 

Don't spend this time worried about what you have not done in your life, but instead, focus on what Jesus has already done for you. Think about His mercy and forgiveness. Think about His grace and sacrifice on the cross for us. Ask God to help you follow His example of service to others.

For the next 40 days, and beyond:

Walk, in His steps.

1 Peter 2:21