seeds! plant seeds!

I have been just a wee bit distracted lately.  I started a few slow-growing perennial seeds back in February and the poor things are so neglected that I'm not sure they're even worth keeping (but of course, I will anyway!)  So my daughter K made me this sign and hung it on my chair so that I will see it each day and remember not only to check on my poor little seedlings but also to plant more.  Thanks K!!

The reason I'm so distracted is that I work at Mount Royal University and my program is going to get cut.  I could be out of a job in a year.  This may not seem like a big deal to most people but if you work in academia, the jobs are typically few and far between, and finding a new one almost always means moving.  I won't rant about it here except to say that the provincial government is seriously hurting post-secondary education - both quality and access.  Do you have teenagers finishing high school in the next few years?  You should be worried.  Have you written your letters to your MLAs?

Anyhoo, let's talk gardening 'cause it's a lot more fun!  Here's a list of popular articles I've written about seed starting:

• My seed-starting setup - This post describes what I do to start seeds, and the how and why of it all.  There are also lots more links on the bottom of the post.
• Vegetable gardening in Calgary 101, which includes notes about raised beds and square foot gardening, and
• When to plant vegetable seeds in Calgary, which is one of my most popular posts.
• How to winter sow - an alternative, zero-energy, low-maintenance way to start seeds.

You can also browse through old posts under the category "seeds".

Comments

[Jeff]

If you don't mind me asking, what program is it? I too am concerned about the effects the funding cuts are having on our health care and education.

[ron]

Your distraction is genuine. You are going in the right direction and keeping your slow-growing perennial seed shows your love for gardening.

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Hi Jeff,
It is the engineering transfer program. To be clear, they are still saying it is not official as it needs to be approved by our Board of Governors etc. But there will be more programs announced shortly.
The funny thing is that this is a high demand program - we already have almost 600 applications for only 100 spots this coming fall! We were not a "redundant" program because we served a specific need that was not met by UofC and UofA. However, the program was small and not within the vision of MRU, so an easy target.
When this kind of slash and burn budget is announced with so little notice, of course institutions are forced to make decisions that will adversely impact Alberta and in this case, young would-be engineering students in Calgary and the surrounding area. This impact will be felt for the next few years and perhaps for much longer.
Thanks for asking!

[Kellie]

Really your daughter provided nice idea regarding Plant sees. Plant the number of seeds at the regular time.

[plantman]

Look on the bright side. You could get severance, you can sell your place for a good sum due to Calgary's tight real estate market and then move somewhere with a nicer climate!

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Ha ha! There is that possibility, I suppose! But yes, I am trying to look on the bright side. It is an opportunity.
Janice