Thoughts of Spring

With the unbearable cold that we have had this past week, my mind has been turning away from my numb toes and toward thoughts of sunshine and the peeking green of my spring garden. Once again, I am beginning to receive seed catalogs filled to overflowing with bright and beautiful images of annuals, perennials, and luscious veggies. Thumbing through the first of the catalogs, I once again vow to not spend any money on seeds this year. I know I'll succumb to the temptation, but hopefully I can manage to keep my spending to a minimum. It seems somehow counterproductive to spend so much money on seeds when I am trying to save money by growing my own veggies! I enjoyed my potatoes so much this year that I am quite sure I will order a small selection of tubers. I'd love to try some fingerling potatoes this year. How tasty! I grew some version of purple potato that Mom donated to the cause this year, and I've never had a tastier tater. It's unbelievable, sometimes, the difference between store bought and garden picked.

I am also going to try to keep the number of tomato plants down this year. I have some that I will definitely plant this year, Dagma's Perfection, Cherokee Purple, and Black Krim, and I'd like to try some new varieties. Perhaps there are some gardeners in my knitting group who would like to do some seed trading. I will double check the seeds I have to ensure that the few determinate varieties I have are planted in appropriate place. Last year, I ended up with several determinate plants fighting for light amongst the indeterminates.

Butternut squash will be decorating my fence again this year. I just love those beautiful little golden squishes. I can't get enough of my butternut squash soup! I plan to try watermelon and cantaloupe again this year. Hopefully I will successfully harvest a Charentais this year. Perhaps I will Let the melon take over the zucchini area this year and move the summer squash into the garden. I fear that whatever I plant in that area, though, will be devoured by the squash bug horde that moved in this past year. Horrid. I didn't get any squash out of all of my zucchini, yellow squash, and pattypan plants.

I wonder if I should chance taking the rabbit fence down so that I can easier keep the weeds from the garden edges this year. I've been fighting the perimeter weeds for years, and it drives me mad. It's the darned bermuda. I detest it! It is so difficult to get rid of. I know of no organic method of controlling it short of digging to China in an effort to get all the little bits of runners. I would love to find a trick to controlling that evil weed.

I am also going to make an attempt to remove my ill placed mints from the herb garden this year. HA! I know. I should have listened to my mother on that one. Just that one! But my Melissa has overgrown so badly that I'm actually having trouble getting the peppermint to grow. Go figure. Hopefully I can get the Melissa, Peppermint, and Wintergreen properly transplanted to a nice big pot.

My goodness, those chive flowers make my heart ache for spring.