A Little Gardening Talk

 I think I already shared with you all that I had ordered these Dark Purple Opal Basil seeds from Baker Creek.  I had seen where someone said that they grew regular basil for usage and then purple basil to allow it to go to flower to attract the bees and butterflies. I thought it would be worth trying out. So I invested $3.00 for 100 seeds. I planted less than 15 - they are really small seeds - I did not mean to plant as many but it just happens. So I have many seeds left over to use another time. 

And very important for anyone who is just getting into gardening - Do not throw your extra seeds away. Just because there may be a date on your package does not mean that you can not use the seeds the next year. Now in the future when you plant - you may have a lower germination rate - but if you will just make sure you plant what you will need plus some extras you would have a successful time. I have heard of people planting seeds from years and years ago and still the seeds grew into a plant! Seeds are awesome like that! 

So a funny little story for you all today. I planted my seeds in this container below. And our grow lights - at least half of them now have pink and blue little bulbs so that it puts off a pinkish purple light. So I was checking the progress of all of the seeds I had started and everything was coming up except for my purple basil - I was disappointed. Then one day when I pulled out the tray to take the top plastic dome off of the planting cell - I had the lights in the sunroom on and I just happened to notice something a little different - sure enough my basil had some up - but with the purplish colored lights - I had not noticed the little plants had indeed come up! lol 

I thought I had a photo of it with the lights on - it really camouflages the basil plants. 

Thankfully I finally realized they were coming up! 

I have 12 plants - that is how I know that I probably planted less than 15. 

See my little plants- I think they are going to be a beautiful addition to my garden!! 

I used to focus just on the main vegetables to grow in my garden - but the longer I garden the more I realize the importance of attracting the bees and butterflies - so it is important to have some flowering things around the garden. And what is neat - is that you can plant things from seeds and the cost is so low doing it that way - that you can afford to have alot of flowers. Cost was probably why I didn't have more flowers in my garden - I was spending my money on the plants - and that cost really adds up that way. Yes- starting seeds yourself does have an initial cost of getting your setup together - but once you have that then you reuse much of what you use to start seeds - and then the seeds are pretty reasonable - and there again - one year you may be several seed packets - but you still have plenty of seeds left over to use the next year, or two or three, perhaps ever four ...who knows. But this is so much more cost effective you can afford to have the flowers as well!! :O)