Not all gardening projects take place outdoors. (Wow. Look at me, being all philosophical).

This weekend, the husband and I built a potting bench for the garage. I’ve needed something like this for awhile. My collection of pots and containers has grown out of control after a few years of buying plants for the yard, and they were living in several un-architecturally- sound piles that spilled all over the garage. I’ve also needed a better space for all of the various types of soil I have, as well as my seeds and tools for potting up seedlings.

I used to haul everything into the kitchen, or onto the back deck every time I needed to plant something up in a pot, which was often. It was always a pain to juggle everything, and I typically managed to spill more than I planted. Also, most significantly, lugging everything around hurts. I have ankylosing spondylitis, which is fancy chronic illness speak for “my body and I don’t often see eye to eye.” I sometimes have issues walking and using my hands, so having to cart around pots, bags of dirt, plants, tools, etc. is always an adventure.

Anyway, I’d wanted to solve all the aforementioned problems by setting up a potting bench with some storage for awhile, and we finally took the plunge:

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We plan to add some shelving at some point, but I am well pleased with the way this project turned out, and the space will come in handy in a couple weeks when I need to plant up the next of the seeds.

Outside, the garden continues to wake up. Spring begins this Saturday in our hemisphere, for which, I am overjoyed. All the bulbs have sprouted now, and we should see some daffodils flowering before too long. Right now, the Blue Moon Crocus bulbs that I planted last fall (and then promptly forgot about) have been blooming in a gorgeous mix of white and purples, which has been a nice surprise. The hellebores are also in full bloom.

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The basil, oregano, and bergamot seeds that I planted a few days ago are already starting to sprout. The whole seedling operation seems to be going pretty well so far this year. I’m excited to get the next raised beds built here in a few weeks so I can start the outdoor planting. Some seeds just grow better outdoors, in their final location, and so once it warms up just a bit more, I’ll get the next round of seeds going.

All I have planned for the week is to whine about the time change, obsess over the early-blooming flowers in the garden, and maybe, if I am feeling adventurous, I’ll put together a few bird houses with the wood scraps from the potting bench.

Happy Gardening!