Saving Green for Green

Thought I would save some serious green this winter by jump starting beds of perennials and vegetables from seed inside my house. The empty dining room became the block's best dressed greenhouse ever - hardwood floors, a chair rail and vaulted ceiling surrounded by dozens of trays of dirt. Every evening I watered and fertilized the seedlings and when they got big enough I transplanted them into larger plots. Indeed, limited gardening skills and a little TLC was adequate enough to tackle a mini-garden inside and the seedlings grew to a nice height. When it started getting warmer, I moved the starter plants outside to hearty beds of moist mulch and nutrient bone meal. So now, here I am, waiting for more and nothing more is happening. None of the little budding soft-stemmed lightweights are maturing beyond their days inside. I set them free to thrive, grow and multiply and I expect them to return the favor with bushels of juicy tomatoes, moon flowers and bachelor buttons but no, not the shastas, day lilies, poppies, zinnias, or boxes of wild flowers are propagating on their own. What to do? Did my little orphaned plants really prefer my stubby green thumb over Mother Nature? Or am I taking this hobby just a little too serious....