Bert's BloomersThe Official Blog of the Ten Minute Garden!

Thirty years later and my enthusiasm for gardening, has not waned. I still get a thrill when the first seeds germinate, and cuttings taken from mature plants, take root. When I putter in the gardens, I feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at a flower in bloom, and remember that I started that flower from seed. Or my eye rest on a shrub and I realize that shrub started in my greenhouse as a small cutting.

Because so many of our plants began in our greenhouse, they have become a living diary of our gardening journey on this tiny plot of land we own. They are a reminder of my gardening mood the year those particular seeds were selected: Victorian, Urban, Country, Zen. They also bring back memories of past growing seasons, some good, some not.

There was the year the power went out during a late spring snow storm. We scrambled to set up folding tables in the kitchen and dining room to set all the flats of seedlings (23) on. For two days, getting to the fridge or into the cupboards, meant moving a table with ten flats on it.

One year, the cover of the greenhouse ripped, and risking our own safety, we struggled to tape the rip together, perched on ladders, in a blustery wind, to save the flats of seedlings growing inside the greenhouse.

There were funny moments too; Losing a boot and my balance, in a mud puddle while attempting to close the ventilation flaps on the outside of the greenhouse. Opening a bale of potting mix only to end up wearing and/or eating a goodly portion of it. Neighbourhood cats hopping on the benches and chowing down on the catnip transplants.

The 2008 growing season has begun. It is on a much smaller scale this year. The enthusiasm is still present, but lack of time has forced a cut back on production. Instead of starting several hundred plants, I’ll only grow a few hundred.

The annual mind boggling task of making up seed orders is underway. As expected, the list has grown wild and a severe trimming will be required to get it under control. There just isn’t enough room in the greenhouse or the yard to start all of the seeds that are currently on the list.

Plants for our container gardens (thirty-seven last season) dominate the order list, with herbs a close second. This year I’m toying with the idea of growing drying flowers again. Vegetables, shamefully, are few (who has time to can and freeze anymore?). A couple of houseplant varieties have even made it onto the list.

Every year I promise not to order so many seeds .Every year, I break that promise and don’t doubt the same scenario will be played out again this year. The next couple of weeks will be a frustrating, hair pulling time.

When the seeds orders begin arriving, I’ll be kicking myself for the seeds I did not order. Once the seeding has begun and the greenhouse fills up, I’ll be kicking myself for ordering order so many seeds. As the planting out starts, I’ll be questioning my sanity. But, come June, when everything is planted and growing and blooming like crazy, I’ll be reminded why this obsession with gardening is worth it.