April 29th, 2008 Dan
The following are common concerns relating to starting seeds. Thanks to Suraj for asking important questions!
>Hi Dan,
>I’m new to gardening and really liked your seed starting video on youtube
Dear Suraj,
Thank you for your note…I’m glad you liked the video.
> 1) Do the dimensions of the container depend on what seed is being started?
Yes. In the video I was starting onions, which can grow a
deep root before transplanting to the garden…thus the deep
planting container (five inches). Most other vegetable seeds
can be started in standard flats (about two inches deep).
Best to follow the directions in your seed catalog.
> 2) Can you start more than one seed in a single container?
Certainly, as long as the deep rooted (onions, parsnips,
etc) are in another container.
> 3) Do I have to drill holes at the bottom for drainage?
Absolutely…thanks for bringing this to my attention. I
should have mentioned it in the video. Drill holes approx.
2″ O.C. (two inches apart). My seed starting area is over a
carpeted living area, so I built a shallow tray to hold the
seed starting boxes and lined it with plastic.
Thanks again for your input, Suraj. Best of luck with your
gardening!
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April 22nd, 2008 Dan
A fairly large snow berm still covered some of our new ornamental grasses, so I shoveled it over to the driveway, where it melted quickly. Unfortunately we’ve had two 1″ inch dustings since then…winter just doesn’t want to give up!

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April 7th, 2008 Dan
I was very fortunate to attend folk singer Tom Rush’s performance at The Panida in Sandpoint, Idaho not too long ago. I now receive his newsletter. Today’s issue expresses a thought I’ve experienced for some time - see quote below.
Though I’ve resisted bringing politics into this blog, perhaps it’s time we all started to make our stand for a new beginning.
“There’s a story I like about how Henry Ford wanted his engineers to come up with a certain carburetor design. They worked and worked, and reported that it couldn’t be done. So he took the job to two guys from the mail room, with no engineering training whatsoever, and they worked and worked, and did it.”
“They talk a lot about Obama’s lack of experience, but I’m thinking that, to the extent that it’s true, it might be a good thing. It seems evident that all of our current problems were carefully (or carelessly) crafted by people with lots and lots of experience. Tons of knowledge about The Way Things Should Be Done have led us into all kinds of very bad situations. Maybe we need someone who doesn’t know how it’s done, or that it can’t be done, to have a try at straightening things out. Don’t get mad at me – it’s just a thought.”
Tom Rush
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March 26th, 2008 Dan
A vast ice shelf hanging on by a thin strip looks to be the next chunk to break off from the Antarctic Peninsula, the latest sign of global warming’s impact on Earth’s southernmost continent.
Scientists are shocked by the rapid change of events.
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March 22nd, 2008 Dan
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March 12th, 2008 Dan

Onion sprouts from my recent planting (see video below) appeared in just four days. This photo was shot on the seventh day.
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March 7th, 2008 Dan
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March 3rd, 2008 Dan
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March 3rd, 2008 Dan
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March 3rd, 2008 Dan
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