A Risk Worth Taking

Properly hardening off plants seemed like so much work before I started growing plants from seed this year that I almost did not try it. Keeping track of 'one hour today and two hours tomorrow', 'shade then sun' is simple to understand but hard to execute on a busy schedule.
To really understand when a plant is ready to make the move outside I experimented.  I am growing MoonFlower at the base of the Japanese Lilac I have been following through the seasons (below).
Two nights ago I planted the first of my precious seedlings. A Moon Flower. It went down to 5 degrees but the little fella survived fine, so last night I added another two around the base and tonight I planted the remaining three along the nearby hedge and fence along the border of the Moon Garden.
Oh, and I left out my seedlings all day in the sun and all night (down to 3 degrees) and they appear to be fine -  so I guess they are officially hardened off enough. It was not as much work as I had thought and I am thrilled with how many plants I have for the money.
Now to plant them and see how they adapt to the garden...clear my schedule!
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Sharing with Fertilizer Friday