So, you’re a writer, and maybe you spend a lot of time indoors. I spend a lot of time indoors. In fact, I probably spend too much time indoors. I work from home. I write for a living, and I rarely go outside, but I do like gardening, and I like growing my own vegetables, and I’ve done it in the past. I’m not doing it this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it this year. Amazon has a great deal on Open Seed Vault Variety Pack Bundle (44 Varieties) Herb Garden Seeds - Gardening Seed Starter Kit, Survival Gear Food, Gardening Gifts, Emergency Supplies - Premium, High Yield Produce. It’s currently $28.99 which is a $16 discount.
What’s in This Seed Starter Kit?
Just about everything you could want. It contains 44 varieties of vegetables and herbs, including:
- All American Parsnips
- Anise
- Arugula
- Basil
- Beefsteak Tomatoes
- Beets
- Bell Peppers
- Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
- Broccoli
- Brussel Spouts
- Bunching Onions
- Butterhead Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Cantelop
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Cumin
- Dill
- Eggplant
- Green Beans
- Kale
- Lima Beans
- Okra
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Pumpkins
- Radishes
- Ruby Leaf Lettuce
- Sage
- Savory
- Spinach
- Sugar Daddy Peas
- Sunflowers
- Swiss Shard
- Thyme
- Turnips
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Zucchini
After buying this seed starter kit, you’d be hard-pressed to need any other seeds, and I’d venture to guess you’d have seeds leftover for next year, especially if you harvest your own seeds from a few of these fruits, vegetables and herbs, and you can do that with these seeds. That’s because the producer of these seeds says, “These open-pollinated, non-hybrid, raw, chemically untreated garden seeds have never been sourced from Monsanto and never will be! Our herb garden seeds make a great gardener gift.”
Why Should You Garden? I mean, your whole goal is to write more articles and books. Right?
Just because you're not actively writing doesn't mean that you're not working on it. Gardening is a quiet, thoughtful activity. This means that you can garden and think. as you plant your seeds, watch them grow and remove weeds and harvest your produce, you may come up with an idea. the most obvious is that your next main character is a gardener, but it can be more complex. What if you're writing a murder mystery? Did it take place in a garden? Was the tomato the instrument of death? Was a garden tool? Maybe you're writing erotica? Just what IS going on in that greenhouse? You could get all kinds of ideas by just spending time outside with your plants.
What Else Might You Need?
Bug Killer - Preferably Organic and Bee Safe
Earth's Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray 24 oz Ready-to-Use | Better Than Neem Oil | Insecticide, Fungicide & Spider Mite Control for Organic Gardening, Pest Repellent for Indoor Houseplants & Outdoor Gardens – It’s regularly $15.98 but currently on sale for $9.98. It’s designed to protect against harmful insects, mites and fungus. It’s also safe for bees.
A Greenhouse
Greenhouses don't have to be expensive or complex. They can just be a shelter that protects your plants and keeps them warm. The last time I gardened, I actually used a greenhouse, and it was a good idea. There was a little bunny that I forgot about, and he liked to hang out right next to the greenhouse. However, since I had a greenhouse, and I kept it closed a lot, he never got in. It's especially helpful to keep them closed at night. The temperature tends to drop at night, and every critter you don't want around your plants comes out at night. This includes racoons, foxes and other irritating critters. Now, when I chose a greenhouse, I chose one that was too small, so I recommend buying one that's bigger than the one I chose, like the Ohuhu Walk in Plant Greenhouses Heavy Duty with Durable PE Cover, 3 Tiers 12 Shelves Stands 4.8x4.8x6.3 FT Plastic Portable Green House.
Ohuhu Walk in Plant Greenhouses Heavy Duty with Durable PE Cover, 3 Tiers 12 Shelves Stands 4.8x4.8x6.3 FT Plastic Portable Green House
This is a simply greenhouse with a tube-type frame and a heavy-duty plastic cover. It's fine for gardeners who are trying their hands at gardening using a greenhouse. Greenhouses can be used to help start seeds faster or to grow the whole plant. Of course, it depends on what you're growing. they work well for plants that don't vine or grow very tall. This means that you could grow herbs, lettuce and root vegetables in it easily. This one is currently priced $79.99, and it's regularly $99.99, so you could save $20 on it, and you'l extend your growing season.
Seed Starting Mix
There are all kinds of seed starting mixes available. when I first started container gardening, I chose the standard Miracle gro Potting Mix, and you may like it. I didn't. it tended to grow a lot of fungus or green garbage on the top of the soil. It's reasonably affordable with 2, 16 quart packs retailing for $23.16 as of this writing. However, after a few months of fighting that soil, I decided to try Burpee Organic Coconut Coir Concentrated Seed Starting Mix, 16 Quart, and I liked it much better.
Burpee Organic Coconut Coir Concentrated Seed Starting Mix, 16 Quart
The coconut seed starter doesn't have the fungal problem that Miracle Gro can have. This stuff hydrates in water, so you'll need a five-gallon bucket or a mop bucket that's super clean and free of cleaning chemicals. If you want the standard five gallon bucket with measurement lines on the side, I recommend the Midwest Rake 46229 5 gal Natural Multi-Mix Bucket. Once it's hydrated, you can fill your containers and plant your seeds. It's currently priced at $11.71. each brick expands into 8 quarts of potting soil, and it comes with two bricks. It's also lighter and easier to ship and deal with than actual bags of soil.
Containers
You'll also need containers if you're going to put plants in the greenhouse. If you're just going to start your seeds in your greenhouse, the Bonviee 5-Pack Seed Starter Tray Seedling Kits,Plant Starter Kit with Adjustable Humidity Dome and Base Indoor Greenhouse Mini Propagator for Seeds Growing Starting (12 Cells per Tray,Black) seed trays for $9.99 on sale or $11.99 full retail are probably fine. If you plan to grow the plants to full maturity, you'll probably want at least one gallon buckets, like the JERIA 25-Pack 1 Gallon Flexible Plant Nursery Pots，Thickened Soft Plastic Seedling Pots,Seed Starting Pot Flower Plant Container for Succulents, Cuttings, Transplanting，Seedlings. You could also choose to buy five gallon cloth containers, which work great. However, they won't fit in the greenhouse. Something like 12-Pack 5 Gallon Thickened Non-Woven Grow Bags, Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles would help you grow larger vegetables and vining vegetables, like tomatoes.
Soil Meter
You'll also want a soil meter. Some of the biggest problems with plants are due to the soil being too wet or not wet enough. The XLUX Soil Moisture Meter, Plant Water Monitor, Hygrometer Sensor for Gardening, Farming, Indoor and Outdoor Plants, No Batteries Required tests the moisture level of the soil. Now, that's all that one does, but it's only $10.99 on sale and $12.99 at full price. If you want one that's a little more robust, you might purchase the 4-in-1 Soil Moisture Meter Digital Plant Temperature/Soil Moisture/PH Meter/Sunlight Intensity/Environment Humidity Backlight LCD display Soil Test Meter for Gardening, Farming and Outdoor Plants, which tests for moisture, sunlight, soil PH, and humidity. This one costs roughly twice as much as the first, but you're getting four times the features. Lit's listed on Amazon at $22.98.
Gardening Kit
Lastly, you'll want some gardening tools. there are all kinds of gardening tools available on Amazon. you'll have to decide your price point. If you want something ultra-inexpensive without much of a case, you might purchase the 5Pcs Succulent Tools,Mini Garden Tools,Pruning Scissors as Plant Accessories, Gardening Hand Tools Kit for Seedling Soil, Caring Succulent,Houseplent,Bonsi,Gifts for Woman and Man. This contains a small handheld rake, two spades and a pair of sheers. It retails for $7.99 on sale and $9.99 at full retail. If you want something more complete, you might take a look at the Complete Garden Tool Kit Comes With Bag & Gloves,Garden Tool Set with Spray-Bottle Indoors & Outdoors - Durable Garden Tools Set Ideal Tool Kit Gifts for Women & Men, Set of 10. This retails for $35.99 on sale and $39.99 at full-price. It comes with a canvas bag with many pockets, gardening gloves, weeder, hand fork, hand rake, transplanter, trowel, pruner and spray bottle.
Gardening can be a lot of fun, and it can help you relax, unwind and gather ideas for your current and future novels. Remember, just because you're a writer or a budding novelist, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy other hobbies.
