Ok, that might be something of an overstatement.  But!  Seeds!  Are!  Starting!

Wanting to avoid the Big Box store places for this project, after work today I went over to Cluck, an independent (and woman-owned!) urban farm & garden store in Providence.  After I communed with the resident kitty, Max, the nice lady there set me up with some compost soil, seeds and pots, and then I stopped at the hardware store and bought a plastic liner, seed labels (those plastic thingies sticking up with writing on them), and the all-important watering can.  (I also got a new bird feeder, but that’s a story for another day.)

Sort of unbelievably, I already screwed up; the compost mix is supposed to be wet BEFORE you plant the seeds, but I didn’t read that until afterwards, when it seemed really weird that the mix wasn’t absorbing the water.  It’s ok, though – now I know, and there’s time (and plenty more seeds) if these don’t germinate.

For the moment, I’m focusing on tomatoes and peppers since the Farmer’s Almanac says now is the time to start these from seed here in Massachusetts.  I wound up with three kinds of tomatoes (none of which were the varieties I had planned on but oh well), and some bell peppers.  I planted two pots of each, hoping that at least one of each will work out.  I am actually tempted to order another tomato and a couple more pepper seed packets from Johnny’s, but everyone is saying that a couple of good tomato plants can give plenty of tomatoes.  On the other hand, there’s no such thing as too much homemade tomato sauce.

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If you are in Providence, I’d highly recommend stopping by Cluck.  For one thing, it’s in an old gas station and just that alone is interesting, plus there is a whole story about how the neighborhood was aghast at the idea of such a store coming into the neighborhood.  (Because a gas station was better???)  In addition to basic gardening and backyard farm supplies, they have lots of other interesting things, from cheese making kits to beekeeping supplies, cute gardening-themed gifts for kids, and lots of books and tools.  They also offer classes on a range of farm & garden topics.