The first stage of the gardening process is always the biggest confidence booster, because almost all our seedlings have begun to sprout! I know full well that nothing I see in April guarantees anything will bear fruit come summer, but it’s awfully inspiring to see the start of several vegetables already.

The lettuce and peas are heads and pods about the rest (goofy gardening humor totally intended). I love seeing all the recyclables holding these plants – the lettuce is in an Advil box, the green beans are in a Crystal Light box, and so on. Some of the cardboard containers have already begun breaking down, but we still have three weeks ’til Derby (before which no Kentuckian dares put her plants outside).

I’m wondering if any of these would work as hanging plants. Not hanging very high – just the height of a chain link fence; the chain is gone and just the frame remains – but high enough that the occasional furry visitor (bunny, squirrel, puppy, etc) couldn’t trample or treat themselves to my vegetables. Maybe tomatoes? Or something else vine-y, like cucumbers, if I provide something for the vines to wrap around on their way down?

I’ve never grown peas or green beans before, so I’m not even sure what to expect. Right now I’m just basking in all the potential we’ve created with a little dirt, a few seeds, and lots of TLC.

Next up: zinnias!