I HATE PLASTIC! Oh you knew that. I did not need to SHOUT then. But I hate plastic! So I refuse to buy plastic pots for the hundreds of seedlings we grow each year. It kind of defeats the purpose you know.
So I make paper pots. They hold together remarkably well when packed in a tray. 
Yes, well the paper pot maker does have a most unfortunate shape, but it is a very handy wee thing. I bought it off the internet a few years ago. Just google Paperpot maker (while you still can). The seedlings will dry out faster in paper pots though so be vigilant. Recycled plastic pots work too. My first father-in-law collected little stackable yoghurt pots, carefully pared a little plastic off the bottom edge with a sharp knife for drainage holes and used these year after year. They were very durable. We do not eat processed foods, or foods packed in plastic so I ask my consumer friends to collect all their cottage cheese containers and yoghurt containers for me.
Make a plan. 
Of course later on you will chuck the plan out the window, but as far as timing and plant placement, a plan is useful. My plan page is still in its early stages, but you get the idea.
Your first decision for the garden is what you want to eat. No point in growing something in your vege patch that you will not eat. Especially if space is an issue. If it is a small terrace or deck garden you will want to grow plants that you can keep snipping at as the summer goes along. For my spring deck garden I have sown a big pot of onion seeds, chives, parsley and sage. I have my rosemary and mint in huge pots inside, and I will be doing cuttings from both of these for my neighbours gardens when it warms up. The thyme is in the garden already but will grow quite merrily in a pot. In another few weeks I shall sow big pots of cool weather lettuce and spinach. Sow these seeds close together so your leaves stay clean (no splashed soil from watering)and then pick the leaves frequently. Both can take the cold and a few frosts.
The big vegetable garden takes more planning. Every year I am working towards growing enough food to feed my household for the entire year. So, all the plants will go out in succession then everything is resown and planted again, at two week intervals. This gives me lots of time to gather and process the vegetables into jars and the freezer. Plus a constant supply of fresh food. So don’t sow all your seed on one day. We have a short summer out here in Illinois. I call it short anyway. So I do need to plan.
We don’t have a glass house (yet) so by late winter all the sunny patches inside are covered in pots and trays. These are the plants that we want to have ready to set out into the vegetable garden the minute the conditions are good. At this point I am collecting my seeds. As we know John has already sown the first of his tomatoes but in a few weeks he will sow another lot.
Celery has been sown already as it can take up to three weeks to germinate, let alone grow. The lavender seed is in wet media in the fridge for six weeks. The onion seeds for the big garden have been sown as well.
My last frost is mid April, so the majority of my seeds will be sown inside in late February. These will be for the spring garden. Cabbage. Brocolli. Lettuce (straight into the ground).
The summer garden is another list. We will get to that. Most of these will be sown outside in pots or directly into the gardens.
Our list of flowers for bees is another list too. But I have been reminded by Claire at Promenade Plantings to sow my sweet peas early. (Sweet peas are lovely in a terrace garden if you have a good railing for them to climb up). And Joanna has already sown her pansies!
And look at the new character in my kitchen. A lovely kind friend sent me a present. Isn’t it beautiful. 
No, not the old parmesan grater or the basket of fresh eggs or John’s great grandmothers hard working coffee grinder. It is the pasta maker. A beautiful, old, heavy, hand cranked, Italian pasta maker. It is so shiny! I am so spoilt. I spent quite some time in the Bartolini Kitchens blog yesterday, finding the family pasta dough recipe and studying the process. I will begin to teach myself how to make really good fresh pasta today. Because look at this weather. 
Here I am up in my winter loft studio planning the spring garden and it is snowing outside and getting colder. 19F now. I did the rounds of the farmy first today so that I could close all the doors against the snow, so please excuse me for posting late. Not one animal thanked me, they just watched their doors close with resignation. And went back to munching.
Good morning.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
98 responses to “Spring Garden Planning and making Paper Pots for the Seedlings.”
Seriously? Your last frost is in APRIL? Mine’s not til the second week of May…. 😦
All bets are off this year, though…I’m just praying that the apples don’t break bud before I get them pruned in March.
(I got one of those pasta machines, too…Hope I get to use it. Before next winter, preferably…)
YUP every day since I got here five years ago.. late april though and you are probably early May. and you are so right.. who knows what we get this year! If my apple blossoms fall through i am going to be feeding my bees sugar gunk for ages.. are you still getting your bees, with AngelBaby and all?.. c
Sadly, the bees are on hold, as there’s no time to get the site prepped for the hives…The current big project is finding a good site for a Kid’s Garden, with easy-to-grow flowers, a big bean teepee to play in, and PUMPKINS.
The Bee Man and I will re-figure our plan in the spring.
Oh those bean tee pees, kids love those what a great idea! c
Oh and sugar snap peas, they love to pick and munch!! c
I love the idea of the paper pots – excellent!
You have a terrace don’t you? Will you be growing a terrace garden? with your new book, that i cannot find out here! c
It sounds like a hopeful and cheering thing to do to plan a spring garden while the snow keeps you inside. I love the little paper pots because I too hate plastic! I learned to fold a plastic rubbish ‘bin’ a while ago, and can do little ones too, but they are square and a bit wobbly. Yours look a lot more elegant.
morning Juliet, did you mean paper rubbish bin? how do i do that? It sounds interesting.. c
Hi Celia, try googling ‘garbage bin origami’ and you should find it. It’s fun, and you can make different sizes.
I will thank you! c
Lucky you to get the pasta maker. Have you ever used egg cartons for planting seedlings? They work a bomb for me.
I will this year, thank you cindy.. c
I truly believe in planting what you will use! Have a super fun time with the pasta maker – I use mine a lot 🙂
It is a great machine.. good morning tandy!!
Beautiful Post as usual…Fantastic views of Antiques, and Kitchen ware, and necessities,.. I’m not sure I remembered you are in Illinois. You must go through a lot of Peppermint Schnapps… Just Kidding, But…I did when I lived in Champagne-Urbana…Bless You…and your 20 foot snow drifts…
Oh, by the way…do you have a great “Honey Bee Photo on one of your past post I can use on my next Blog Entry? I will Link Back to it of course, and brag on the photographer…es
Bless You
paul
Oh, Yeah, LOVE the insertion ( While You Still Can ) pertaining to the Internet…
https://thekitchensgarden.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/feeding-sugar-water-to-bees/ These are my favourites.
There are many more but I have a close up clear one in the hive..I know where it is, i shall email it to you later on today if you want.. I really need to tag these shots more clearly! Back later. c
I agree, Celi, down with processed food! Chemicals. I love plant-based dishes – lots of raw in the summer months – and just finished making a mega pot of 13-bean, oven roasted veggie soup. It is soooooo good – various squash, yams, onion, broccoli, carrot jazzed up with Chili Powder and Cumin. I still have veggies left so will make a quinoa stew.
Food that goes schmack with a warm fire, sleeping cat and freezing weather.
Perfect food and a big pot like that can last for days. I only eat real food.
Hello Celi,
I love the winter planning for the vegetable garden.
I make roasted tomato essence with my Principe de Borghese tomatoes; they self seed each year. I have made it with Roma and Pear tomato; however, the size of the pear tomatoes makes it a challenge to push through the mouli.
The pasta machine will give you so much enjoyment, what a wonderful friend.
A wonderful post C ! From paper pots to your plans AND a pasta maker. Such much to think about there. I’ve tried paper pots a couple of times, I need to TRY again. Like the inners of loo rolls they always seem too wet or too dry. I can’t seem to get it right. But I might try them in the greenhouse on gravel trays ths year and see how I get on.
And your plans, I LOVE plans 🙂 and I love yours, I have a real picture in my head, whether or not THE plan is followed through to the letter or not!
But most of all I want to say CELERY! I’m impressed. I’ve tried it, it grows ok (ish) but gets tough as I simply can’t get to water them enough. so bravo, my friend, I adore homegrown celery. That horrid flavourles stuff in the shops shouldn’t be called celery.
This is the first year I have grown celery out here. In NZ it was in the garden every year. I will plant it and the parsley by one of the water barrels so they get water frequently. c
Hmmm maybe, as she puts her thinking cap on…… I’d like to grow celariac as well, they’d make great growing partners!
Are you also one of those that looks at seed catalogs with lust in your heart? I’ve heard of people like that.
I am that lusty seed catalogue looker!! I do confess! c
More and more you amaze me with everything you do! 😉
Hi Phyllis, what’s cooking in your kitchen today!! c
Here I am, finally, enjoying a bit of time to sit and read the new Blogs I have added to my list this week. Thank you so much for dropping by Granny’s Parlour so I would know you exist! I find it interesting that you seem to have a special work space you call your winter loft studio from where you can oversee your domain, so to speak. This truly provides a good perspective, doesn’t it?
Welcome Granny! The winter studio space is in the loft above the woodstove. I also dry all the laundry up here, so it is warm AND sweet smelling! And yes i can watch the weather roll in from up here. c
[…] Spring Garden Planning and Making Paper Pots for the Seedlings, Cecilia writes, “I refuse to buy plastic pots for the hundreds of seedlings we grow each […]
Good for you for not buying plastic pots, Cecilia! It helps reduce demand. Clever of your Dad to convert old yogurt containers and re-use them, too. I grow my annual tomatoes in old plastic paint or laundry detergent buckets and my few herbs in some old plastic and ceramic pots.
I have a pasta maker just like yours, found it on eBay for cheap. Last winter I collected all sorts of plastic containers to use as seed starters, now that we have a single stream recycling program in our city, I no longer have little pots. The paper ones and what ever might be left from last year will have to do. I need another garden bed built and filled with good dirt (our Texas backyard if full of rocks). It might not freeze again this year, they forecast another blazing hot summer. The pot of mint has lived outside all winter and has come back full of tasty green leaves now! Thanks for the reminder, I’ll be sowing seeds when I get home!