Planting vegetable seeds is an easy job. Every year, I am surprised at how quickly the task is accomplished.

Then those seeds sprout and I remember that there is potting up to do.

That’s what takes forever—filling all those pots, and carefully teasing apart and planting the young seedlings.

Sometimes I think I’d be better off planting my seeds directly into pots. But every year there are varieties that simply don’t germinate. If I had filled dozens of pots, only to have them stand empty, I would have wasted a lot of effort and greenhouse space (both of which are in short supply in the spring).

So this weekend, I will spend many hours transplanting seedlings. Though it can be tedious, I don’t really mind. To spend a day nurturing plants and breathing in the summery smell of tomatoes isn’t hard to take.