Gearing up for Spring!

Spring is in the air--I can feel it!  This winter has been so mild and I know that even if we get a freak snow storm now, it will be gone in a day or so.  I am preparing for Spring, which means getting my balcony ready for use.  I love my balcony.  It is probably the closest I will get to having a backyard anytime soon.  I love plants.  I keep houseplants all year round and true to my frugal form they are almost all from cuttings.  Only the African Violet did I buy and it has been a challenge to keep it going well.  I have Golden Pothos, Chinese Evergreens and Spider plants as well--all from cuttings.  Actually, the Chinese Evergreens were almost dead.  I felt for them and threw them some water for a few days and they bounced back from the brink.  I was impressed, took them under my wing and have been impressed ever since.  They occupied one pot initially and now fill three. 

Anyway, for Spring I have decided to grow plants from seed and thus, obtain plants I might not customarily see commercially sold nearby.  This year I will try Chinese Forget-Me-Nots, morning glories and Cosmic Orange Cosmos--the former are my son's idea and the latter are my own, to attract good bugs, maybe.  I'll also add petunias and marigolds.  Growing plants from seed is cheap and fun.  The Morning Glories are already growing and so are the forget-me-nots.  I have a perfect trellis in mind and I also have a nice wind-chime to hang.  Finally, I am going to build a floor for the balcony that will disguise the ugly (I think) gray concrete floor.  I am building it from cheap furring strips I found at Home Depot.  They were 98 cents a piece (1x3x8) and I think they'll do fine.  The balcony isn't very large (6 1/2 feet by 12 feet or so), just a comfortable outdoor place to chat and knock off a few beers.  I'll post pix when I have something to show.