seed-starting guide for beginners + phenology journaling
Channeling my inner Carl Linnaeus📝
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
― Rachel Carson, Silent SpringSince moving back to New England after bouncing around New York and Los Angeles, I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for the rhythm of the seasons. When I was younger, I thought all the trees in winter were simply dead and gray—how totally lame and boring, right? But after a decade of gardening, embracing seasonal living, and tuning into nature’s cues, I’ve come to understand that nothing is ever truly still. That realization has sparked a deep interest in phenology. From Wisconsin Horticulture:
The word phenology is derived from the Greek word phaino meaning “to show” or “to appear”. Phenology is a branch of science that studies the relationships between periodic biological events—usually the life cycles of plants and animals—and environmental changes. Natural events such as bird migration, the opening of local lakes, plant budding, flowering or fruiting, insect activities, and harvest dates of cultivated plants are all annual events that can be correlated with seasonal or climatic changes, particularly with weather or temperature, rather than specific calendar dates.
Just this past week, I’ve noticed the fish in our koi pond stirring after months of near dormancy, pileated and downy woodpeckers making their rounds, a squirrel frantically building a nest, chipmunks scurrying about, a mockingbird scouting for a nesting site, an influx of robins, three female goldfinches at the thistle feeder, the return of two cardinals, and the fuzzy buds of our magnolia swelling—hot diggity dog!
Instead of simply noticing these things in passing, I decided to start a little field guide. And because my Achilles' heel is a gorgeous notebook, I already had the perfect one lying around—5”x7”, lined, covered in mushrooms. Because, as any notebook aficionado knows, I couldn’t possibly start my field guide in an already-used notebook. The horror! It needed to be a blank canvas.
I’m not making it complicated—just jotting down dates, times, observations, and locations. I’ve been especially inspired by my mother-in-law’s foray into botanical illustration. She’s a talented artist and now a budding nature journalist, and her detailed sketches remind me how much there is to see if you simply slow down and look.
Beyond just keeping us in tune with nature, phenology is a practical tool for gardeners and farmers, as it has been for thousands of years. Observing nature’s timing can help us know when to plant, harvest, and prepare for the season ahead. Over time, patterns emerge—forsythia blooming often signals that it’s time to plant peas, while the arrival of barn swallows means warm weather is here to stay.
Eleanor Sterling, an anthropologist who kept field journals of her work in Africa, spoke with the American Museum of Natural History about her preferred methods and suggestions for keeping such a journal:
1. Use a well-sharpened pencil.
2. Begin each field session by writing down these basics:
site name/location
plot name/number
group name
date
time of day
temperature
weather conditions: for example: is it cloudy, sunny, windy, raining?
wind conditions
soil conditions: for example, is it moist or dry?
3. Record your observations. Some things to consider recording are:
if there are fruits or flowers on individual trees or plants in your site
if you observe any kinds of interactions among insects, like mating or fighting, or between insects and plants, like feeding and pollinating
if you see any changes from the last time you were there
Now, I’m no Jane Goodall with the chimps or Dian Fossey with the gorillas, but the spirit remains the same—pay close attention, write it all down, and over time, a story unfolds.
I have this list from Farmers’ Almanac printed out in my garden journal (not to be confused with my new field guide):
Blooming crocus are your cue to plant radishes, parsnips, and spinach.
When the forsythia is in bloom, it is safe to plant peas, onion sets, and lettuce.
Half-hardy vegetables, including beets, carrots, and chard, can be planted when the daffodils blossom.
Look for dandelions to bloom before planting potatoes.
Perennial flowers can be planted when the maple trees begin to leaf out.
When quince is blossoming, transplant cabbage and broccoli.
Wait for apple trees to bloom before planting bush beans.
When the apple blossoms fall, plant pole beans and cucumbers.
By the time the lilacs are in full bloom, it will be safe to plant tender annual flowers and squashes.
Transfer tomato transplants to the garden when lily-of-the-valley is in full flower.
Full-sized maple leaves signal time to plant morning glory seeds.
Peppers and eggplant can be transplanted when the bearded irises are blooming.
When peonies blossom, it is safe to plant heat-loving melons, such as cantaloupe.
Tonight, I’ll be starting the first seeds of the season —onions, shallots, parsley, spinach, and pansies. I might also get a little wild and crazy and start some brassicas, as I just (like, just now I was procrastinating writing this and scanned my email!) read my friend
’s newsletter all about starting brassicas right now. Consider me influenced.Our chickens are back to laying with a vengeance after taking the winter off. Their egg-laying cycles are directly influenced by daylight hours because their reproductive systems are controlled by light exposure. They need about 12–16 hours of daylight to lay eggs consistently, so some chicken keepers use artificial lights throughout the winter to maintain egg production. I don’t do that, and choose instead to let them rest and take a break —it’s hard work being a lady! They got some R&R but I’m happy to have a full egg skelter again.
And as promised in my newsletter last week, I put the finishing touches on a beefy-but-beginner-friendly blog post talking all about starting seeds inside. Check that out here:
Happy almost March! It looks like it’s coming in like a lamb instead of the usual lion here in Massachusetts, but I’m not hanging my hat on it.
Until next (pizza) Friday,
Amy
LOLs of the Week
Reading
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season by Barbara Damrosch
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
Listening
Making
This year, I’m trying my darndest to make everything within reason from scratch —meaning, the goal isn’t perfection, but stretching myself to rethink my grocery store purchases. I’m talking all baked goods, granola, crackers, sauces, dressings, dips, etc. I’m trying to be strategic about making and freezing extra, planning ahead, and getting the kids involved. This isn’t a tradwife/everything is poison vibe, but more of a “everything at the grocery store is so freaking expensive and I’m sick of it” frugal hippie vibe, ya feel me?
From the past week:
rice crispy treats
ranch flavored roasted cashews
Some learnings from the first two months of this project:
I’m back to Annie’s mac and cheese for in-a-pinch kids’ meals, as neither of them cottoned on to mom’s homemade mac and cheese.
The whole family is loving the homemade baked goods instead of store-bought goodies —although some Trader Joe’s cat cookies and alphabet cookies did make their way into the house, the default is making our own treats.
I don’t think I’ll ever buy salad dressing again, honestly.
Same with granola! So cheap and so easy to DIY.
Yogurt is really easy to make and so cost-effective that I’m going to stick with it, but probably buy some here and there for convenience.
While I did make potato chips, I will most certainly not be making that a regular occurrence. It was pretty fun and easy but not worth the hassle —I only have chips on chippy boys Saturdays, and homemade ones don’t last that long. I don’t want to be making chips every Saturday when a family size bag from Costco will last for weeks and weeks and weeks.
Loving
The February 28 economic blackout. I’ve seen this all over social media, but think
does a great job of explaining the significance of this day. He writes that, “A grassroots movement is calling on all Americans to abstain from shopping with major retailers — including Amazon — tomorrow, February 28, as part of an ‘economic blackout.’ The purpose is to send a clear message: We have the power. We don’t have to accept corporate monopolies. We don’t have to live with corporate money corrupting our politics.” Now, if you’ve read this newsletter for a while you know that this is precisely my jam! It’s the sad reality that we live in, but money is the only thing that companies and politicians listen to. One of my favorite analogies for the power of collective action comes from none other than the great cinematic masterpiece, A Bug’s Life. Remember this scene?Anastasia Inciardi’s linocut food prints. I’ve ogled her work for a long time, but next time I’m up in Portland visiting friends and family, I’m going to treat myself to this print. It’s technically breaking my no buy, but luckily, I’m the one who made the self-imposed rules —remember, shopping small and buying local is always encouraged! This tomato t-shirt is also a strong contender.
Everything from @northwoodsfolk on IG but especially this DIY fabric paint and the gorgeous tea towels she recently posted.
@northeastgiantpumpkin on IG — I was mesmerized watching his giant pumpkins grow last year and can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store! It’s a true marvel to behold, seeing as I fight for my life to get a few mini pumpkins every year.
sharing how she’s using up her pantry items and not buying groceries — she explains a bit in this post and has been sharing video recipes recently. I love it! Food waste is a huge problem in this country, and Feeding America states that, “In the United States, people waste 92 billion pounds of food annually, equal to 145 billion meals. They throw away over $473 billion worth of food annually. Shockingly, they waste 38% of all the food in America.” I hope that makes you sick to your stomach and rethink ever throwing any food away. Between composting, having backyard chickens, and being extremely thorough with meal planning and fridge clean outs, the amount of food that ends up in our trash is negligible. And while most food waste comes from the food industry, 11% of food waste comes from our homes. Some climate issues feel so hugely out of our control —think: billionaires taking private jets everywhere and corporations pumping out emissions at staggering rates. But food waste? That’s one area where we can make a real impact. By shopping smarter, composting what we can, and getting creative in the kitchen, we can keep good food out of landfills and make the most of what we have.
And speaking of reducing food waste, I love this tip from Manon Lagrève on how she uses up fruits that are looking a little worse for the wear by making a tutti fruity compote! She was a contestant on Great British Bake Off a few years ago and she is one of my favorite comfort creators —her meals and recipes always look incredible.
Link Roundup
Soil Blocking: Good for Your Plants and the Environment [NYT]
Pesticides have negative effects on non-target organisms [Nature]
How Seriously Should We Take the Sale of Federal Lands? Very Seriously, Experts Say [Outdoor Life]
Costa Rica Is Saving Forest Ecosystems by Listening to Them [Wired]
The Amazon’s Indigenous Ingredients Are Trending. But What Does That Mean for Its People? [Saveur]
Enjoying Pizza Friday? Share the love and forward this email to a friend you think would dig it so they can get in on the fun, too. Like pebbling, which is what penguins do! They bring little trinkets like pebbles to their loved ones. How precious is that?
I just really enjoy your newsletter. I NEVER comment on things, like ever, but I thought I would stop by to say that reading your content is a mixture of delight at new gardening information, relief at hearing another socially like-minded person, and confidence-boosting that I already do some of the things you suggest. Have a great weekend!
I started keeping a gardening and food preservation journal years ago. I just love doing it — so incredibly helpful year to year.