The start of a garden

Hey, I planted some stuff. Some stuff I'm hoping will sprout and spring forth to flourish in this world.

All the little pots are now soaking up the sun under a light-filled window. The new house has a greenhouse out back that I will be sure to put to good use this summer, although I've only set foot in it once so far because we moved in in November. Here in Alaska you have to grow some things under sheets of plastic to keep them safe from the chill and wind. I'm too lazy for that sort of thing. The stretching out of the plastic, the tenting, the staking, the lifting, the replacing. But a greenhouse! Now that's more my speed.

So far I've planted cucumbers and tomatoes (on the edible front) and some sunflowers (also edible, come to think of it). I plan to plant the sunflowers along the fence at the end of the driveway, to say hello to people as they drive past.

Above is what the pots looked like a couple of weekends ago. Here's what they looked like last night in the early evening sunshine after work (thanks daylight savings!):

Right after I took that photo, I helped each little sunflower sprout out by cracking open and removing its shell. Are you supposed to do that? Or is it like having to let the little chicks peck their way out of their own shells?

Go ahead and say it. You think my sunflowers are spoiled, don't you.