MY DARK ROOM HAS BECOME A GREEN HOUSE

Yes, last year i finally gave in to the fact that using a dark room anymore is not a viable option.  It's too much money and who really wants to be a dark room for hours at a time?  I do miss that beautiful smell though.....

we dragged all my equipment including a 5' x 12' developing sink, two enlargers, a color developer and numerous other darkroom items with us all the way from Illinois 8 years ago, thinking  I would have this fabulous darkroom, which i did, but then well..... life happens, things change and technology advances.  So about 4 years ago now I gave into the fact that digital is here to stay.  I am truly sorry to say that darkrooms have become an "alternative process."

So I decided last year that i needed a semi heated place in which to start my seeds in the spring.  The darkroom got the gig.  I built a 4 x 8' bed, complete with 4" x 4" sides and through in some good dirt.  I set this up in the dry area of the darkroom and got some lights for the little seedlings. When the seeds arrived i got busy.

I bought a heat tape to place in the bottom of the box and put in some really nice dirt.

So I planted the tomatoes in this one, names like Green Sausage and Black from Tula. But still had the eggplant and peppers to start.

Notice that the ziploc has written on it "tomato seeds," not what KIND of tomato seeds, just - tomato seeds.  Really?  this is my record keeping?

Then that wasn't enough room so I went into the wet area, the developing area of the darkroom and made use of the big, beautiful sink in there.

Noon was there to help, as always!

So now i have two areas in which to work and grow seedlings.  Plus i have water readily available to sprinkle on them.

Then i got really excited thinking that i would go check out the garden area and see what it looks like right now.

BLAH!

Last year at this time we were planting peas out there!

Noon was there to help.

Then i got even more excited when i realized that i had bought these little floating row covers!  Well, its time to check them out.

I threw some beets and lettuce and carrots under there!

And Noon was there to help.

So was Oaky.

I check daily and water as well, and there wasn't much growth yet.

 But it has been oh, let's see - i planted them on the 17th and now it's the 30th so it's been 13 days and no sprouts yet. Until yesterday....

See? right there, a little bit o' green!  Oh!  Spring planting can't get here fast enough!

 But nothing here. : (