The experiment begins

Our names are Lindsey and Corey, and let us begin by saying we have absolutely zero gardening experience. I cannot imagine if there are any people reading this, how many of them will be laughing at our silly mistakes, but here goes.
Our preparation began with a couple of Buzzy starter kits. I bought a few to brighten up the apartment, and our obsession with growing life spiraled from there. We then purchased a Jiffy greenhouse seed starter kit and a variety of flower and vegetable seeds from Burpee. Our idea was that once the vegetables reached a height of 3 inches, we could transplant them to larger containers, such as the large, tupperware storage containers that people stack in their closets so that they would still look neat and tidy on our porch.
We also planted a couple of various flowers and vegetables and plants in fiber pots, including cat nip so that we could have extras for backup, and to give to family and friends.
Our final task was to see if a perennial could servive and return year after year on a porch. A little bit different than container gardening, but who says you need to have a garden to maintain a perennial? My thinking was that if I got a deep enough pot, and kept the roots nice and cool, I could in fact keep that plant coming back year after year. ONE year would be a miracle. We chose a Clematis, a beautiful pink climbing flower with the nickname "Dr. Ruppel".
Our little seedlings have been growing about two weeks now, and are doing well, some are well above 2 inches and awaiting the scheduling of transplant into their containers. We both work at Veterinary hospitals, and everything has a very surgical feel to it. I find myself needing supervision while trimming the Clematis... Anyway, the only minor problems we have run into are the occasional Ohio chill, in which case we have moved the plants into the house for warmth. That brought us to our second setback, which is the cats, who had decided to snack on our warming plants. High in fiber yes, not so good for the growth...
Well, more updates to come! By next blog we hope to have the transplant done, or at imminent. In keeping up with the care of these plants, we are reminded of the calla lily that we purchased last year, and that other blue potted plant. We had a contest to see which plant would grow the fastest...or die the slowest. Both plants died shortly thereafter. Wish us luck!