Garden Planning

The mild winter certainly has been giving me "the itchy paws" for gardening!  The late part of winter is the perfect time for us gardeners to curl up with our newly-arrived seed catalogs, take stock of what worked (and what didn't) last year, and start planning what we want our gardens to look like this year.

For me, I'm going to be doubling last year's growing space...150 square feet to 350.  Scary, isn't it...350 square feet of garden space is nearly the same size as my first apartment!  My hope, though, is to grow enough food to supplement our grocery budget for at least 6 months.

Here's the list of things I'm growing:

• Paste Tomato (Determinate):  Roma & Bellstar
• Paste Tomato (Indeterminate):  Amish Paste & San Marzano
• Bell Pepper:  California Wonder & Chinese Giant
• Hot Pepper:  Jalapeño & Elsita
• Potato:  Yukon Gold
• Onions:  Cortland Yellow
• Winter Squash:  Waltham Butternut & HoneyNut Mini
• Greens:  Tyee Spinach
• Lettuce (Greenleaf):  Black-seeded Simpson
• Lettuce (Bibb):  Buttercrunch & Pirat
• Lettuce (Romaine):  Freckles, Winter Density, Jericho
• Carrot:  Danvers 126
• Peas:  Sugar Snap
• Flowers:  Nasturtium
• Herbs:  Basil, Mint, Cilantro, Parsley

Sure, it sounds like a lot of plants, but it really isn't.  Everything on this list is something we eat on a daily basis, or can be preserved via canning or freezing.  As for the seed, 75% of it is left over from last year.  Germination rates are still high for 1 or 2 years after seeds were initially harvested, provided you store them in a cool, dry place with constant humidity levels.  For me, the pantry closet works wonders.  

As with all things, it's very important to plan and organize before you start planting.  This prevents you from getting overwhelmed, starting more plants than you have space for, or just flat-out being disorganized.  I HATE being disorganized!

Besides, it can be a lot of fun on a winter evening (I used the SuperBowl as the perfect opportunity) to grab a couple sheets of graph paper, a ruler, and a pencil to see what creativity you can spark.  Check the spacing allotments located on your seed packets, and go to town!

Happy planning!

Welcoming Winter

Like the spring before it, Winter 2011 has been...unpredictable, to say the least.  That's good news for the gardeners trying to eke out a few more harvests off the late-season lettuce, kale, carrots, and radishes; not so good news for us winter sports lovers.  I know, I know...how can I possibly be a gardener AND a winter sports enthusiast?  I'm not sure, really.  All I know is, I love both with equal passion.

I find there's a certain magic in winter:  the morning you wake up with frost coating your lawn and rooftop; those first flurries skittering fast and furious past your wiper blades, then magically disappearing when they hit the ground; how your breath puffs and glows in the soft light of the streetlamp while walking the dog.  Then there's the holiday lights, the fogged-up spectacles, a cup of steaming tea or cocoa, the snow angels, the impromptu snowball fights, and the comforting heat of a thick soup.  What's not to love?


But my favorite of all is downhill skiing.  We CAN do it in the Midwest, believe it or not!  Sure, the runs aren't as long as those on the East Coast or the Rockies, but I find it's enough.  We make our own snow when Mother Nature doesn't bless us with the falling-from-the-sky kind.  Ever see a sunrise through the veil of a snow gun?  You should; it's an amazing and beautiful thing.









My boots and skis have been itching all year for this...

I find there's a certain freedom in speeding down the side of a mountain, connected to the ground only by a pair of boards on your feet and every muscle from the waist down.  In skiing, everything's backward:  go up to slow down, go faster for more control, shift weight to the downhill side to turn.  It's a surreal experience, learning to trust your legs instead of your feet, your ears instead of your eyes.  But once you learn, it's the closest thing we have to flight.





Then there's night skiing.  The snow takes on an ethereal glow, illuminating terrain and paths you could have only dreamed of seeing in the daylight.  It's a completely different perspective.







Winter is a special and beautiful time for those with eyes to see it.  What better way to revel in it than to get out and play?  Listen close...the snow is calling, and the mountains waiting...