what I've planted so far

Seeds started on 3/19:

• cucumber
• broccoli
• yellow squash
• zucchini

Seeds started on 3/22:

• Nicandra (flower that exudes an oil on its leaves that supposedly sterilizes flies!)
• lemon cucumber

I am doing a lot more from seed this year. In the past I went to Lowes or a garden center and purchased plants. They have always done well, but I found that sometimes I didn't get what I thought I was getting, especially with tomatoes. I'd get a different variety than I wanted. Or squash, sometimes it's crookneck when I wanted straight, or I got pickling cucumbers 2 years ago instead of slicers. So I thought if I go from seeds, it will be more certain what I'm getting.

However, I fear that the plants won't be strong or hardy enough. I will have to really make sure to harden them off properly; I have read about how to do that, but haven't ever actually done it. So that will be a challenge. I'm starting a lot more baby plants from seed than I need, in case something doesn't do well once I transplant it. And if I have extras, well, we'll just have plant abortions I guess.