Waiting for Spring
I'm not one to hurry winter along but I'm becoming quite anxious for Spring to get here already. I love snow and winter sports and the silent beauty of a snow filled trail. In these parts once President's day passes our chances for a big snow wanes. Which means I should no longer hope for some snow to fall. What a depressing thought for a gal who adores the snow. As the days pass I have been thinking about the approaching spring. Spring means growth. Already I see evidence of the bulbs eager to emerge from my garden. The signs are there right in front of me slowly changing.
Seeing the garden wake from its winter slumber I am becoming aware that my garden planning needs to get under way. I'm perhaps a little late in ways when it comes to my garden. I have friends who begin the next year's garden plans well before the end of the growing season. Not me. Well. Ok. Maybe I do a little planning but all that I do is consider things I'd like to grow next year. I never write anything down which has become quite a bothersome trait. I am convinced that I have such fantastic ideas that by the time Spring comes around I have forgotten them. The only thing that I traditionally do is choose to grow a new vegetable or fruit in our kitchen garden. The extent of my planning last fall was choosing some seeds. While I have may garden favorites this year I am looking to grow vegetables that are heirloom varieties.
I had such success with some foxglove seeds a friend gave me from Mount Vernon that I decided to look for some more seeds from local horticulture experts. This time rather than turn to 'ol Georgie boy I decided to look a little further south to another presidential man. Jefferson was a gardening genius. Perhaps even a hero. If anything he salvaged countless plants from being lost forever. So to him I sought my seeds. And that's where I got carried away. Oh my. The choices available on the Monticello website was quite delightful. I didn't want to keep all the fun for myself so I ordered some seeds to give to my garden loving friends. With my pile of seed packets in front of me I am trying to envision my kitchen garden. My very full kitchen garden will certainly keep me busy.
I daresay that my garden plot will not quite hold the vastness of my plans. Sometimes I like to pretend that my yard is far larger than it truly is. This tiny problem requires me to face reality even if I don't want to I have to work with the space I have available. In a mere few weeks my gardening will be underway. I like to grow a three season garden. I do this so that I can extend my real space further. I begin to sow seeds outdoors in March. GASP! I know there are some of you gardeners totally freaking out after reading that dirty little secret. What can I say I like to push the envelope. It's all about seeing what I can grow.
Based on my pile of seeds it looks like we'll be growing lots of tomatoes. I'm one of those people who feel you just can't have enough tomatoes. I'd grow fields of them if I could. I'm lacking the field space so that means finding the room for all of my tomato plants will take some clever planning. I may be cramming some in between my flowers! Oh what a sight that would be. For as much as I'd like to take advantage of garden space I can't let my flowers be overwhelmed by tomato plants. This year is looking like the year I give container gardening a full attempt. How wonderful would it be to have a container garden forest of tomato plants on my patio? Pretty nifty idea....or well in my imagination it looks pretty fantastic. Sounds like I have plenty of thinking to complete. I better get to my notebook to set up my seedling list. Come March those little seeds will need to get going. Time to get my trays cleaned up and prepped and I'll certainly need to locate my garden tools. Oh dirt here we come!
Seeing the garden wake from its winter slumber I am becoming aware that my garden planning needs to get under way. I'm perhaps a little late in ways when it comes to my garden. I have friends who begin the next year's garden plans well before the end of the growing season. Not me. Well. Ok. Maybe I do a little planning but all that I do is consider things I'd like to grow next year. I never write anything down which has become quite a bothersome trait. I am convinced that I have such fantastic ideas that by the time Spring comes around I have forgotten them. The only thing that I traditionally do is choose to grow a new vegetable or fruit in our kitchen garden. The extent of my planning last fall was choosing some seeds. While I have may garden favorites this year I am looking to grow vegetables that are heirloom varieties.
I had such success with some foxglove seeds a friend gave me from Mount Vernon that I decided to look for some more seeds from local horticulture experts. This time rather than turn to 'ol Georgie boy I decided to look a little further south to another presidential man. Jefferson was a gardening genius. Perhaps even a hero. If anything he salvaged countless plants from being lost forever. So to him I sought my seeds. And that's where I got carried away. Oh my. The choices available on the Monticello website was quite delightful. I didn't want to keep all the fun for myself so I ordered some seeds to give to my garden loving friends. With my pile of seed packets in front of me I am trying to envision my kitchen garden. My very full kitchen garden will certainly keep me busy.
I daresay that my garden plot will not quite hold the vastness of my plans. Sometimes I like to pretend that my yard is far larger than it truly is. This tiny problem requires me to face reality even if I don't want to I have to work with the space I have available. In a mere few weeks my gardening will be underway. I like to grow a three season garden. I do this so that I can extend my real space further. I begin to sow seeds outdoors in March. GASP! I know there are some of you gardeners totally freaking out after reading that dirty little secret. What can I say I like to push the envelope. It's all about seeing what I can grow.
Based on my pile of seeds it looks like we'll be growing lots of tomatoes. I'm one of those people who feel you just can't have enough tomatoes. I'd grow fields of them if I could. I'm lacking the field space so that means finding the room for all of my tomato plants will take some clever planning. I may be cramming some in between my flowers! Oh what a sight that would be. For as much as I'd like to take advantage of garden space I can't let my flowers be overwhelmed by tomato plants. This year is looking like the year I give container gardening a full attempt. How wonderful would it be to have a container garden forest of tomato plants on my patio? Pretty nifty idea....or well in my imagination it looks pretty fantastic. Sounds like I have plenty of thinking to complete. I better get to my notebook to set up my seedling list. Come March those little seeds will need to get going. Time to get my trays cleaned up and prepped and I'll certainly need to locate my garden tools. Oh dirt here we come!
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