Springtime!

We have been hibernating all winter and are so glad it's spring! We've been planting lots of seeds; I am trying all kinds of new things this year that I haven't tried before, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, eggplant and lots of flowers I haven't grown from seed before. Poppies and portulaca have the eensiest threadlike sprouts I have ever seen, and I wouldn't have known they were there if I hadn't planted them myself. I saw watermelon, cantaloupe and eggplants in our community garden last year, so I hope I can get mine to grow this year. There is another huge pile of mulch in the community garden again, that nobody wants. I have had great sucess starting beans from seeds I saved last year; I start them in juice cans so I can bring them in every night so they don't get eaten down to nothing, and transplant them to a garden plot when they are big enough. So far I have planted out a batch of three different kinds (the fourth kind is waiting for it's spot to be ready) and started some more of each. (I can do 4 trays of 12 juice cans each at a time. BTW, plastic Welch's frozen juice cans (with the ridge cut off the top and holes poked in the bottom) have been the best starting pots I have ever come across. I have used some for three years now, and they are still in good condition). I could go on for too long about gardening, so I'll stop myself now. Happy gardening and happy spring!