Getting the Gardening "Itch"

Last week had conditions that were below freezing for a week long.  It was gloomy, grey, cold and wet outside.  We kept our fireplace roaring and stayed in front of it.  This time of not being able to do anything outside coincided perfectly with the time of the year that the mailbox begins to fill with seed catalogs.  I love looking through seed catalogs!  Even when it is too cold and rainy outside to do anything, you can dream about this Spring's garden.

I heard a quote I liked once that said something to the effect of "No garden is as good as the one that you are going to plant NEXT YEAR!"  If you think about it, it is true.  The garden in our mind has 100% germination, perfect spacing between plants, healthy, green, lush growth, weed-free rows, ample walkways and no insect pressure or disease.  The garden in reality doesn't quite measure up to the one that we spend the off season thinking about!  But it doesn't stop me from dreaming about it.

So as I sat in front of the fireplace dreaming about the spring garden, I figured that there were actually some garden tasks that I could get done right where I was seated.  First, I took all of my purchased seed out of the freezer and opened an excel spreadsheet where I maintain my seed inventory.  I took stock of what I had AND what I needed to order.  Then I did the same with my inventory of seed I had saved myself that I had stored away in various medicine bottles.  I took inventory of those too, updating my spreadsheet.  This essentially made my seed order ready to go.

Then I got out some of my favorite seed catalogs and began comparing prices, package sizes, shipping costs and varieties.  I ensured that I was comparing apples to apples and that I was ordering open-pollinated seeds.  Then I made my orders.  I always order a new item or two to try in the garden.  It is always nice to experiment with something I've never grown, something colorful, exotic, or weird.  I actually placed my order from 3 different vendors this time.

Over the next week the garden ground began to dry up a little.  They are raised beds so at least the northern side stays high and dry.  I pulled up the pepper plants and egg plants and turned the soil over with my shovel.  With some baling twine as a guide, I measured out rows.  They are 15 feet long, 20 inches wide, with an 18 inch walkway.  These rows are reserved for my onion and potato crop.  My onion sets came in the mail this week, and I have seed potatoes left over from the crop I harvested in May 2017.  I'll be planting both of these possibly this weekend.

Our mail carrier began to deliver some of the seed I ordered this week.  Two of the three orders have arrived.  I like to open the package and shake the seeds.  There's something magical about "dead" seeds in an envelope in the middle of the winter.  The transformation that occurs once they are dropped into the soil is a true miracle.

Before you know it, it will be time to stop dreaming about the garden and start gardening.  I can't wait!