Sowing has begun!

 I have started the first flat of seeds, called Flat I, on March 3rd. Here is a breakdown:

It is now the 8th and we have a 1st and 2nd place finisher.
And first place goes to...*drum roll* Sweet Genovese Basil!

And a close second is....  Indian Grass!?

Yes, Indian Grass beat cilantro, lemon basil and others.

In other news, the almond seedlings have been growing quite fast:

Can you find the Wild Plum amongst them?  Unfortunately this was the only Wild Plum that germinated. Wild Plums are considered "self fertile", so I can get a crop of plums from this tree, but they produce better with a pollinator..
The almonds are an experiment as I am on the cusp of zone 5, which is their hardiness listing. I'm hoping by starting from seed I might have one that is hardy enough to handle the winter. I will plant these and my mulberry seedlings fairly close together in patches this first year. Next year the ones that survived will likely be moved to a more permanent location.
This also allows me to better protect them from the legion of rabbits that are chomping at the bit for spring=)