Preparing for the Spring Garden in December

Odd as I am sure it will appear to some, I can think of no better form of personal involvement in the cure of the environment than that of gardening. A person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world. He is producing something to eat, which makes him somewhat independent of the grocery business, but he is also enlarging, for himself, the meaning of food and the pleasure of eating. — Wendell Berry

Okay, I'm getting the itch.  Short days, gloomy weather, and water-soaked soil have all made it next to impossible to do any gardening.  But that doesn't mean nothing is getting done.  No-siree!  In my mind's eye, I have the 2019 Spring Garden all planned.  My rows are perfectly pulled up with soil not too dry but not too wet, There is not a single weed to be found in the garden and bugs and other pests are non-existent.  The seeds had a 100% germination rate and the plants are perfectly spaced, lush and green.  Of course, I need to pinch myself and wake up, because it's just a dream.  Things just don't work out like that.  However, it doesn't hurt to dream.

Time to start planning, though, and that all starts with seeds!  Seed catalogs start filling the mailbox this time of year and one that I really enjoy looking at and ordering from is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  The catalog is beautiful.

There are varieties of seeds from all over the world.  The seeds contained are open-pollinated, meaning that you can save the seeds after harvest and plant them again and again. I like to go through the catalog and dog-ear the pages that contain varieties I've tried before.  I also like to try new vegetables that I've never tried.

Baker Creek started a new promotion this year in which all shipping is free!  How cool is that?

So after I went through the whole catalog with a cup of hot tea, I made my selections and got on the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds website, www.rareseeds.com and made my order.  Yikes, I ordered a lot of seeds.

I got the order confirmation last night and received word this morning that my seeds had shipped.  I forgot one other tidbit - Baker Creek adds in a "Free Seed" packet or two or three, with your order.  This encourages you to try new things you might not have otherwise tried.  Can't wait for the seeds to come in.  The following items are coming up in Our Maker's Acres Family Farm Garden:

• On January 1st, I'll be planting tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant seeds indoors in preparation for the spring garden,
• On January 10th, three bundles of onion sets from Dixondale Farms arrive in the mail and it will be time to plant,
• Broccoli, lettuce and kale is about ready to be harvested and the harvest will continue through the spring.