Entry the 3rd: A (teensy) Step Toward Self Sufficiency?

For some years, I've wanted to grow some food plants. Several years, actually, and this seems to be the one. In the past, I've had minor success/failure with both a philodendron and a spider plant, and a major, 100% fail with a hydrangea. The difference between then and now? Age. And those plants were already growing when I got them, most of these I'm starting from seeds. Sure, I think I'm going to try both seeds and starts with tomatoes, but that just to ensure more success. I hear they're hard to start.

Some of the veggies I'm planning on cultivating are: carrots, tomatoes, spinach and other leafy-greens, zucchini and summer squash, garlic, and leeks. I'll likely try more, but I will definitely be attempting these.

Today, I planted my first seeds. Two different kinds of spinach, fennel, oregano and basil. Most of the herbs are staying inside, but eventually I'll move the spinach outside. To start with, I got these eco-friendly greenhouse seed starting kits from Burpee. I think they're really new, because I haven't found anything on the interwebs about them. Here's what the packaging looks like:
The kit contains 25 biodegradable planting cells, 25 disks or pellets of dehydrated growing medium, a biodegradable bamboo watering tray, a biodegradable 'greenhouse' cover (which is some kind of clear film, presumably made from plant life), and six wooden stake markers.

I set the trays, cells, and pellets up on my counter and prepared to add the warm water.

I added water. Talk about Mad Science!

I spread out the 'dirt' and planted my seeds according to the package directions, and then I took a picture!

I didn't take a picture of the whole shebang with the greenhouse cover on it, because there was too much glare in both the flash and flashless images. Just think of the picture above with a square of plastic wrap place over it, pinned down at the corners with quilting pins.

And then I did the whole thing over with the second kit. The nifty bit? Once the seedlings are ready to transplant, I can just transplant the whole cell. You know, since it's biodegradable!

I'll take more pictures, just as soon as it looks any different. So, stay tuned for garden updates, and wish me luck! I hope to have grown a modest bounty of produce by the time Autumn rolls around. Who knows? Maybe I will prove to be a gardener-savant...