Greetings from the dead of winter!
Let’s face it–many of us gardener-types probably don’t, hmmmm, how shall we say it? DEAL WELL WITH WINTER.
First, there’s the cold, and then the snow or the ice (or both!) and the dirty looks at one’s spouse when they suggest you get off the couch and up from under the warm duvet and make something of your day.
(Just me?)
Historically speaking, I have not dealt well with winter. And David is a HUGE FAN of dealing with me and my requests in winter, which pretty much resemble some variation asking of him to insulate whatever cocoon of warmth I have weaseled myself into in order to maintain body temperature. He is almost as big a fan of insulating me against the elements as he is a fan of hearing me sing my 50 states song, which is high on info and low on melody.
(Then I remind him his children know an awful lot of states for their age and maybe he should consider writing me a thank you note. Or scratch that, please just tuck the down blanket a little tighter around my back, mmmkay thanks.)
But you know what part I like the best about winter? The planning! Oh, the planning!
I love it so much I could write it a poem. OKAY, I WILL. I WILL WRITE IT A HAIKU.
Oh, garden planning
You make winter less awful
Where is my duvet
The catalogs are in and being poured over and then poured over again, the seeds are ordered (actually, already in!), the spiral-bound notebook scratched and erased and scratched through again in the quest for just the perfect spot for the edamame this year…
So here’s the run-down of my notes to self for this season–would love to hear yours!
- Move edamame to spot where green beans will not attack.
- Don’t plant carrots. They hate you and are cheap at the store.
- Remember to set potatoes out to sprout eyes in time for dual-plantings. (I totally remembered this in December! And now I think I need a cookie!)
- YOU DO NOT NEED 37 TOMATILLO STARTS. Limit seedings of these to 5. Ok, maybe 10.
- Trim peach tree “more hardly” (as Bitty G says.) (Totally did this–absolutely scalped it last weekend. Here’s to hoping!)
- Okra plantings were correctly sized last season. This year figure out how to freeze it–maybe even pre-battered for frying?
- Don’t start any ground cherry seeds–they are already in the garden everywhere Everywhere EVERYWHERE! Just transplant when they pop up.
- Try some new flower varieties. (So excited about the white gomphrena that just came in!)
- Figure out correct timing for lima bean planting–I think it was off last season.
- Fertilize at more regular intervals. Actually, put this on the calendar instead of just thinking about it.
- Continue to buy a small variety of tomato starts instead of seeding 800 tomatoes that you can’t grow on your driveway. (Hi Tomato Man! And also, Hi Homeowners Association!)
- Tidy up monthly gardening tasks in calendar. (I totally did this too–I’ll tell you about it another time.)
Ok, I think that’s it from last year. Let’s see if my this-year-self heeds the warnings of my last year self. Improbable, if I’m honest. About as likely as you heeding my request right about now to tuck the duvet a little tighter around my feet, mmmkay thanks.
See, if you don’t listen to me how I can I expect me to listen to me?
