Last year I started some seeds outdoors, after hearing about it from a fellow Master Gardener. Some of my seeds never sprouted, and some of my containers ended up full of airborne weeds. I think I maybe got one cabbage plant out of the experiment.

As a result, I wasn’t too keen on trying it again this year. BUT!  Now I finally got a little more information on this topic from a podcast by North Shore Community Radio, of all random things. The show, called Northern Gardener, featured a lot of awesome, useful information, and darnit if the hosts don’t sound exactly like Marge Gunderson.

I realize now that I made some key mistakes. For one, I should have stuck with plants from hardier seeds — plants that might typically re-seed themselves anyway. Secondly, I should have very carefully labelled everything so I would know exactly what each thing was. Third, I should have used translucent/transparent containers instead of opaque ones.  I think that large water jug was too opaque.

So, lesson learned.  I may try this again.  If you have the inclination, this podcast and accompanying list of recommended plants is highly recommended.