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Friday, March 6, 2020

Starting Seeds for My Garden, Because Life Goes On


I may be preoccupied with coronavirus right now, but garden-planting time will come around whether I'm prepared or not. This year, I don't know if I'll be able to get out to stores to buy my tomato plants in time to plant (I plant them around April 15-20 under plastic covers), or if plants will even be available in abundance in my area. There are too many unknowns at this point. So, I found a packet of tomato seeds from 3 years ago, tucked in my seed stash. 

They may have lost some viability, but I believe that some of the seeds will germinate. I planted several seeds in each cell of this 6-pack. I am hoping for 4 to 6 healthy plants. Planting seeds this late means the plants will be smaller, but I'm hoping I'll make up for that with more plants. (I planted 3 large commercially-grown plants last year.)

Life does go on. 

14 comments:

  1. And it's healthy for you to focus on something positive! Planting seeds is an exercise in hope. :)

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  2. Exactly what I was thinking, Kris.

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  3. Last night was what looked like a perfect spring evening with the threat of rain, dark (ish) skies and it just reminded me of a spring evening of years gone by. I actually liked it.

    Spring seems to bring new hope, a cleansing, freshness and I'm so looking forward to it. I don't have a garden but dad does so I will get to see and help with that.

    Alice

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  4. We bought more seeds this week at Home Depot, in case we need to ramp up our gardening. Yes, watching the developments and being on guard is tiresome. It affected my concentration at my craft desk for awhile, so I shifted to working on projects that required more focus like doing our taxes. That really helped to bring more balance, plus lifted a burden. I still have more work to do on that desk, but now I feel ready to relax and have fun again with crafting.

    Have a good day,
    YHF

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  5. Hopefully they will sprout for you, Lili. :)

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  6. I am so excited for the growing season! It's 36 degrees with snow flurries today, but Sunday is supposed to be 62 and sunny. I really need that to lift my spirits. Good luck with your plants!

    Angie

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  7. Live and Learn and Kris -- I wholeheartedly agree! There was a book or series of books about the power of positive thinking in the 1970's, I think. I keep reminding myself of that idea.

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  8. Hi Alice,
    I love spring! I think the hope and joy of spring makes it my favorite season. I'm glad that last night was such an evening to remind you of another spring evening from the past. I've been looking for signs of spring, here. I saw a robin this morning and the weeping willow has a hint of green on its fine branches. I hope you find another sign of spring today!

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  9. Hi YHF,
    I'm so glad that you found something to occupy your thoughts and that it was productive! I need to get back to our taxes. You've inspired me to get to it! Thanks you!
    That's good planning to pick up some garden seeds. Even if you don't use them all this year, I've found that seeds have viability for several years. Have fun getting back to crafting!

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  10. Thank you, Belinda! I appreciate that good thought!

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  11. Hi Angie,
    Oooh, 62 degrees! That sounds downright balmy! So many more of the warmer days are coming our way!

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  12. Stepping aside from my concerns about personal safety, there is a compelling case why we should worry about the spread of this novel corona virus, that is our health care system may not survive the enormous number of severe cases to need medical care, which is estimated to be about 20%. As cases grow exponentially, there will not be enough hospiral beds and staff. I now see why China took proactive measures to contain the spread, and build additional hospitals. According to an engineer who ran the numbers, what China did was to delay and dampen the exponential curve. So that the hospital system could weather the impact, and still have the capacity to deal with ongoing emergency health needs of the general population. We need to take this virus more seriously, because of how easily it spreads and the large exponential number of severe cases that will need long hospital stays.

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  13. Hi there,
    I agree that this virus needs to be taken seriously, both by the leaders in our governments and by individuals. I feel most of our state governments in the US are "running behind" and will have difficulty "catching up." I read an article last night about how my area's hospitals do not have the amount of protective equipment that they need. Even if there were enough bed-space, hospital staff could be compromised by the virus, themselves, if not protected properly.

    Seattle is grappling with decisions that could slow the spread and leave medical care available to the most vulnerable. People 60 and older are being asked to remain at home as much as possible. Businesses in the city's core have moved to remote work, wherever possible. A major convention held in Seattle every year has been postponed till summer. This may still not be enough as there has been so little testing and I've read estimates that there could be a thousand or more people in the greater Seattle area carrying the virus and are moving about in society infecting others.

    But I also believe that it's really important to not panic. Panic can lead to terrible decisions, such as what I saw on the news of masses shopping at Costco to stock-up, all at once -- a crowd is the very situation to not put yourself in right now. Or, hoarding supplies that medical personnel might need, such as masks and medical gloves.

    We need to be smart about this and carefully plan how to protect ourselves and those at most risk under our roofs. How much available hospital space there will be at the peak will depend on how well we all take care of ourselves. For that reason, my own household has chosen to just stay in -- no going to work, going shopping, nothing. We hope to keep all of us well, and therefore hopefully will not be part of the burden on the medical system in our area. Or at the least, help to dampen the curve so the spread is over a greater time period, if that's what it comes to. We are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

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  14. Lili, that was my comment above, forgot to sign off again. You said it perfectly, which is exactly what we're doing ourselves. Older people like ouselves, who don't have to go out in public, shouldn't. I don't think it is wise to argue the numbers (the covid19 spread is worse than the flu), and those that do need care seem to take longer to recover (2 weeks I read). In our local newspaper, it has been reported that there has been some respiratory related deaths from unknown causes that were never tested, so there may already be a spread here too. Let's hope our medical system can withstand the stress, but the numbers look daunting. It's the exponential rise that will get us. Plan for the worst is the way we are too. My husband cancelled his dental cleaning visit, and I stopped using my CPAP machine because it causes my sinuses to get itchy and runny. I was advised by my sleep doctor to see my primary and check for sinus polyps, but I'm postponing that.

    Have a good evening,
    YHF

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