The one thing that has always given me refuge in dark times is my garden. It doesn’t matter if it was my small 4×8 bed at our old home in Byron Center, container pots on my patio or my garden now at the farm. There is something about watching seeds burst out of the ground to signify that time goes on and life continues to flourish and grow. My routine during this time is waking up around 5am before Otto so that I can have 3 hours of interrupted time to work and get as much done as possible. I start the coffee pot and make the “rounds” checking on things around the house. I go to the laundry room to check the settings on our chicken eggs we are trying to hatch moving down the hall and into my “office” and check all of the seedlings I started last week under the grow light. I then go downstairs to grab my favorite coffee cup and put just a dash of creamer in it ( a new habit/treat i’ve started during quarantine) and head back upstairs to read my devotions (yet another habit I’ve started in quarantine) and then get to work answering emails and doing work before Otto wakes up around 8am.
I hate that once again I only started doing devotions when I feel stuck, insecure and maybe, just a tiny bit hopeless. I have had a few dark days this week. Feeling alone, scared and unsure. But when I take a step back and focus my attention on things that matter and remind myself that it is ok to find some joy right now even if it is tiny. Today I found joy that some of my pepper plants were starting to emerge from their tiny countertop greenhouses. I found joy that my egg incubator held it’s temperature overnight continuing our journey to hatching our own chicks. I found extreme joy that the first thing otto does now when he wakes up is run over to the couch where I am sitting and gives me my morning hug.
I work hard now to keep these petite joys the focus of my day. I still haven’t deleted apple news notifications, but i’m getting closer.
Last week after dinner I spent some time plotting out my garden and giving these new Bio Domes a try. I have over the years tried out so many different seed starting kits that I was leery of trying another one but when this came across one of my facebook ads I thought why not give it a try. I received my first one and promptly ordered three more. They are different from any other seed starting kit I’ve tried before.
- They are extremely durable. Many of the other seed kits I’ve tried the plastic greenhouse is flimsy. These toppers are so heavy they are similar in density to a rubbermaid storage tote. One of the domes from my second order came chipped and I called customer service. Even during this time they had a replacement to my door within 3 days.
- The replacement pieces are not expensive. The plugs start at $10.95 so while this year was a big investment ($55 if you buy 2+) next year will be significantly less. I have no doubt that these bio domes will last me years to come.
- I’ve never seen this type of watering system. The plugs go into the styrofoam holders that float in the water. I had my doubts that my seeds were getting enough water but in just a few short days I have plants starting to pop up. I had issues with mold growing in some of my older styles of seed starters but this keeps the plant moist but not overwatered. There are also humidity slides on the roof of the plastic that help keep things aired out.
It has been fun to continue to check on our seedlings a few times a day. I swear they seem to grow by the hour. I’m hoping to start another round in my last two domes this week as they have a shorter germination time. The first seeds to pop up in these domes are my peppers, baby’s breath and sweet peas. I did see a couple of carnations fighting their way to the top as well.
Stay tuned for what comes next!
To read more about what is going on in the garden click here.
