Manic Colorado Weather

     Last week in Colorado, our temperatures reached a record breaking high.  We enjoyed almost two weeks of beautiful spring-ish type weather.  Right now, I look out at a melting five inches of snow.  I do believe my beautiful state is confused.  It is reminiscent of the Katy Perry lyric, "You're hot and your cold, you're yes and you're no....." Oh dear, I just went on a singing rabbit trail. Apologies. Regardless (not irregardless, because that is a double negative and NOT A REAL WORD), Colorado can't decide what season it is, like I can't decide what I am going to wear.
      However, those few beautiful days got me a hankerin' fur plantin'. I can't wait to get my seeds sown, and things growing!  This is a common problem I have.  One would think I would have adjusted to it, but no- I can't wait, and you can't make me(life lesson: if you are/or have purchased baby chicks it is the same feeling you get when you are waiting for them to lay their first egg).

Egg Shell Seed Starters

     For others out there that are eagerly anticipating the garden season, I have hope for you.  I have already begun planting some of my seeds indoors, and you can too.  I have found that getting my "squashes"(like Mimi says, or "squarshes" like my grandma says), and tomatoes started early, helps them produce a few weeks earlier.  But I aways start my first wave of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower by the end of February so that I have a few early spring veggies to enjoy while I wait for the rest of the garden to catch up.

Rolled Newspaper Seed Starters

       I have found that by becoming an egg carton hoarder (I am sure there is a clinical name for this sickness, I just don't want to know what it is), there are lots of early planting options.  I use the non-styrofom egg cartons to start my seeds so I can cut them apart and put the entire piece in the garden, where it will breakdown.  I also found that using egg shells (and we have A TON) as early seed starters worked wonders for my peppers and tomatoes.  It's not to late to start collecting your egg shells, and if you live in these here parts, I would love to share some of ours with you.  Give me a holler!
      There are lots of cheap and easy ways to start your seeds.  And I hope to share as many as possible with you.  Similar to the cartons and eggshells, look through your trash (here I go sounding even more like a trash hoarder..... sorry), coffee cans, milk jugs, and even water and soda bottles can be repurposed to either plant your seeds (make sure you have holes for draining), or for a miniature greenhouse over your tiny seeds.   I even used  newspapers rolled into seed pots, and again, I could put the entire thing into the ground.
       If you haven't ordered your chicks, or your bees,  you should do that real quick-like.  Here in the "719" most places have a waitlist for hives.  You want to get on that list as soon as possible.