Aquarium Chaos: Episode I

Subtle, nefarious mold. Keep looking, it's there. February 6, 2011.

As I mentioned in the intro post for the seed-starting aquarium, problems are bound to occur when starting seeds, and the very first one is usually mold. I have haven't may have conquered that problem (thus far).

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day: February

Yes, I realize Elizabeth Lawrence is completely right about flowers every month of the year, but in order to fulfill her prophecy, your butt must be in gear throughout the fall and winter. Mine wasn't, so I have only this meager offering for you this month:

In Praise of Snow

Aftermath of the February 1, 2011 blizzard in our garden.

Since here in Chicago we won't have to deal with snow after this week, I feel less evil posting this now.

Pansies in a Fish Tank

First off, this particular venture is a complete experiment, and could end in very sad chaos. That said, I am going to be growing my own early-spring pansies, with naught but a fish tank and a few hundred toilet paper tubes.

Houseplants in Winter

Some of my houseplants in a southeast window.

For me, houseplants are accumulated during the wintertime to stave off insanity. Several years ago, I got tired of having to compost away countless pots of dead specimens, forgotten during the summer, and so I managed to limit myself to only those I could keep alive in some form or another throughout the year.

Winter Sowing in Chicago (A Plant List)

If you're anything like me, when you first discover winter sowing, you know just the plants you want to try growing with it. Unfortunately, as versatile and awesome as winter sowing is, it just is not the best way to grow some seeds. Here's a list of great plants to winter sow in Chicago, and terrible plants to winter sow in Chicago.

Winter Sowing, Step by Step

It really surprises me when I mention winter sowing to another gardener (especially one in Chicago) and they aren't familiar with the concept. Winter sowing has probably saved me $200 worth of perennials in the two years I've done it.