a day in the life of a latvian mom

February is always the month of quiet hope in my garden. Even before the snow fully retreats, I start thinking about tiny green beginnings — seeds that will one day fill the garden with color, scent, and life. I can’t wait for March, so I start some of them early. I like to begin with the ones that need more time to germinate or grow, so they don’t get bored while waiting for Latvia’s spring to arrive 🙂

This year I tried a wide variety of seeds. Some of them decided to show up nicely, stretching tiny green leaves toward the light, while others seemed to nap a little too long in their winter slumber. Also, there are a few “mini greenhouses” waiting outside for spring to come. I love winter-sowing!

There are no tips here, just a list of seeds I’ve already started this season. Well… maybe there is one tip: just try it! 🌱

Outdoor – winter sowing

So, here is the list of what I sowed outdoors using winter sowing. I will be patient with these, because they will start to grow once they like the climate — maybe in late April. So, here is the list: Chamomile, Blue Lace Flower, Sweet Alyssum, Poppy, Ageratum, Veronica.

Indoor – growing tent

I’ve started strawberries from seed in late January… I know it’s not February, but I still want to share the progress.

So, here are the plants I try to start from seed in February using my growing tent, cause you know the daylight in Latvia in February suscks.

Cathedral Bells – tried for the first time! Someone on the Internet said to start them earlier than you think you should. They sprouted slowly and took two weeks. Out of 15 seeds, only one came up! I’ve already re-potted it.

Rhubarb – well, I used to have rhubarb in the garden, but last summer it died back. I’m guessing it caught some disease, so I’m starting a new rhubarb patch from seeds. I’ve never tried this before!

Leeks & Onions – I’ve never started onions from seeds before, because we can usually get small onion plugs at garden centers, and I’d never heard of anyone growing onions from seed. I had to try! Leeks aren’t new for me, but nothing came up this time. I had to repeat both leeks and onions at the end of February.

Dichondra – I hope I can grow them! Love how they look in flower pots.

Pelargonium – my friend Anda has at least 20 of them. She brings them inside for the winter and keeps them in a cooler room. All our rooms are warm, and I think that might not be ideal for pelargoniums! I decided to start with the summer variety — the kind you plant in the garden and say goodbye to in autumn.

Vervain – Love how they look, never grow before, so I couldn’t wait and started them indoors.

Basil – I was eating store-bought pesto on a store-bought slice of bread, with a tasteless store-bought tomato and mozzarella, and dreaming of August. That’s when pesto is made from home-grown basil and everything is fresh. The tomatoes taste incredible, the basil is fragrant, and even a simple slice of bread becomes something special.

Sage – I almost threw this bad boy out! It didn’t sprout, so I put it aside, and after a few days it suddenly appeared. It took around two weeks to germinate. I don’t really use sage for cooking, but I might grow it for its aroma.

Bell Pepper – I didn’t start this one — Helmī did! And how she did it! She ate a bell pepper and decided to try growing a new one. She put all the seeds from inside into water for a few days, forgot about them, and then just threw them all into pots. Usually bell peppers require attention: warming the soil with hot water before planting, keeping the seeds very warm, and giving them good light to germinate. I normally sow twice as many as I need, hoping enough will come up. Guess what happened with Helmī’s seeds? Every single one germinated and sprouted! I still can’t believe it. We’ve already repotted them and, of course, kept about ten of the strongest ones. We definitely don’t need a hundred.

Sweet Peas – I love these! I sowed several different varieties and hope to create a huge cloud of sweet peas in my garden. The scent is just delicious.

Delphiniums – they never came up… never! I try and try, but it just doesn’t seem to work for me.

Foxglove – I’m trying these for the first time, and I really hope they will grow. Tiny and delicate, some seedlings have appeared. I love how they look! If I can’t grow delphiniums, maybe foxgloves will work for my cottage garden instead.

Oh, this blog post took me more time then I think I spend sowing the seeds 🙂

Ilze