Brown thumb? maybe not.

I've always considered myself a brown thumb. I've pretty much killed every plant I've ever lay eyes on. Even a cactus. My mom is the gardener, not me. I've never really had much interest in it. Plus, it's like...a lot of work. When we moved to this house 4 years ago, my mom bought me an African Violet. I placed it on my kitchen counter and it's been happy there ever since. It even blooms. Which I understand is pretty rare. I also have a few plants outside...like geraniums, roses and other plants that are watered on a timer and require very little to no maintenance by me. I don't consider that being a gardener or having a green thumb. The sprinklers water them and they grow. I just look out my window at them. :)
Anyway, last year I decided to go ahead and try to grow some herbs and maybe some vegetables. I have a very, very small yard/patio so my options were limited. No watermelon, or anything that needed a lot of space. I decided to grow tomatoes and a few herbs in pots. I was amazed that I was actually able to keep them alive (with the help of my kids) and very much enjoyed harvesting fresh basil, and cherry tomatoes all summer.
So as spring was approaching this year, I considered doing it again. However, there is this looming cloud hanging over us which may lead to us having to move. You all know my house is for sale. It's always in the back of my mind that we may need to pack up. So because of that, I kind of thought--eh? why start a garden if I can't enjoy it? or give it all the attention it needs?
Well, I threw all that out the window. I couldn't help it. I figured, as long as I grow them in pots, then I can move them with us if necessary. Right? I went over to The Wal-Mart last week and picked me up a cherry tomato, basil and Italian parsley plant and some potting soil. They only had one basil plant left. I planted two last year and felt like I really could have used more. I was disappointed they only had the one. So we head inside and I see a wall full of vegetable, herb and flower seeds. I'd never grown anything from a seed (except for maybe in 3rd grade science class) and thought, what the heck?
And look! They're growing!

Anyone need any basil? I think I'm going to have plenty. I think I started these on Sunday and I put them in the window sill in the kitchen and watched every day. By Wednesday morning I thought for sure I'd done something wrong because I saw no change. But then I was preparing dinner that night and to my surprise...green! They are growing SO fast...it's almost like you could see it happening right in front of your eyes. Every hour they look different.

On the other end of the tray I'm starting green beans. These too are growing really fast. The one you can see here is almost completely upright now...and I just took this picture maybe an hour ago. It's completely satisfying to see something grow right before your eyes. In fact, I think I'm going to go back, get another tray and more seeds. This time maybe a bell pepper or jalapeno or something.

Anyone else planting a garden this year?