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!