I swear I could do this all day. Every day. Anyone else just LOVE reading those seed catalogs?
But of course there is so much to distract me (in a good way) from them -
Sweet little boys who have big plans each day.
Beautiful flowers blooming in the sunny window.
And then there is the baking...
But the boys will also sit with me and we'll go through the seed catalogs together. Reading those unusual names, seeing those which are rare heirlooms and reading their story, dreaming and planning what we can plant where, looking for those with the shortest grow time for our northern climate....too much fun. A loves the funky blob covered squash and G loves the longest most purple beans. Both want a bean teepee, and have hopes for the popcorn succeeding this year.
This year we are expanding our garden again. Planting more containers. Converting more of our tiny lawn to food. And we hope we are also expanding into a community plot. We have found something not too far away, and are crossing our fingers it will all work out and give us a few hundred square feet of solid growing space. What a luxury. We also have plans to get a second plot there to create a special kids garden (more on that soon)!
So, lots to plan. The three of us will be creating our watercolor and marker garden layouts and finishing our plans to get everything narrowed down to a final list. My eyes are bigger than my space (as usual), but figuring it all out and deciding on what interesting new things to grow and where to put them is the fun part!
25 comments:
I'd love to send our catalogue to you!
drop a line with address and it will be on its' way.
Please- will you share with us (or at least me) what you plan on growing this year? I am also staring at the seed catalogues and I want to do so many flowers and veggies that I think if I did them all I'd be swamped.
What are your favorite seed vendors?
I think we have almost all those same catalogs -- they have been marked up, doggie-eared, and otherwise wrinkled all up. I keep going to Seed Savers, but the Southern Exchange is in my area....but I am a picture person. :)
I noticed that you had a working notebook there, with your cat's. Do you have a journal that is dedicated to the garden and the process - like a journal?
The possibilities are endless in those catalogs...
Jennifer
It's so inspiring watching you and the boys plan your garden- I love the idea of the watercolor layout.
Ooooh, a bean teepee sounds wonderful! I and mine would love that.
We take out a bit more every year, too.
This year we hope to finally take out the second driveway. (which means renting a jack hammer and construction bin, which is a pretty big deal)
We have two huge trees in the front, and four large trees in the back, so we're pretty limited on garden space.
I'd also love to know what you plan to grow and who your favorite seed vendors are. Always looking to explore new varieties. :)
Yes, I do! I could just look at all those little pictures and read the descriptions and dream. I recognize some of the catalogs - could you list them by name? I'm interested in what's worked for you...
I love pouring over the seed catalogs and dreaming about gardening. How wonderful that you're getting to expand your garden again this year!
Hi everyone! Yes, I definitely plan to post catalogs, seed lists, how we plan/plot, and my journal/garden notebook. Also favorite gardening books and how we start seeds. Ahhh, love it! :)
Oh, I pine for a garden of my own...we are close to moving and I so deeply hope it's someplace with some land.
Love the shot of the boys baking~
Oh - I could absolutely spend all day poring over seed catalogs!
And I echo earlier posters - tell us about your gardening notebook we see there. Curious minds want to know. And learn.
Oh how Seed Savers makes us drool! I am contemplating how we can utilize out front yard for more food production. Lots of shade . . . we will have to be creative. Evie is gung ho for a full plot at our community garden this year, she is a better gardener than I! Isn't it lovely to dream! Have you read "Mother" this month?
I can't wait to see what you are planning for the kids garden. My kids love to garden, I hope we can have a sunflower house this year. Although my son would probably prefer the bean teepee, maybe we will have a whole villiage. I really enjoy your blog, thanks for sharing a little of your life with us.
My husband has promised to build some planter boxes this year! I am so excited! I am looking forward to seeing your plans and your garden!
I too enjoy going through the catalogs. Can't wait to hear more about your garden.
Oh yes, seed catalogues. I love them! I've pretty much ordered all that I can this year. We are probably moving so I'm guessing all that I that I start this year will be gifts for friends. Not such a bad thing to give the gift of life!
http://www.underwoodgardens.com/
Do you have this one? One of my favorites and from Northern Illinois. Very interesting and unusual varities! They have brought plants for the PHWS fundraisers in the spring, and I have been really especially happy with their tomatoes.
Hi Denise, found your site through Stephany's naturally simple-Madison caught my eye! I'm about 2 hours north of you and spent 6yrs of my life at UW-Madison. Still have a fondness for the town. Stop by and say hi sometime! Kris
Where do you buy bulbs locally? Like the crocus you have growing inside? What a great way to start thinking of spring. Wisconsin winters are so long...
We have a pile of seed catalogs that we are perusing continuously. We have ordered some already but will get the bulk of our stuff ordered soon. We are really enjoying the fruit tree catalogs and have a huge list of fruits we want to grow. The most fun catalog we receive each year is the Murray McMurray catalog-with all the different breeds of chickens, we really have fun as a family looking at that.
I am excited about your community garden plot, that is how I got started and really think it is the most sustainable way to go. Of course it is an investment in time and my bicycle trailer was just never big enough to haul all the tools and produce (and the child). Happy Gardening!
my word verification was : "undental", which is appropriate because I have had a tooth ache the past couple of nights.
Alyssa - I have seen them but thought they were from AZ. Didn't know it was an IL company! :)
Lisa Anne - I'm *hoping* it works out. It is a very small and very new community garden - but it is the closest one available to us and has a lot of potential. It is almost 5 miles over in a suburb of Madison, but is close to the library branch we visit. We really need the extra space! Keeping my fingers crossed...
Oh, we so want chickens but our yard is about 5 feet too narrow to have them in city limits. We might get angora rabbits this spring though. It would be nice to spin yarn! :)
Hello from 1 Wisconsite mommy to another. :)
you'd laugh: so I had a pot of parsley and wanted to move it just outside the front door (so I could snip it at night, when I don't want to walk to the garden). I placed the pot within another, larger pot, ful of alyssum and violet.
I moved the parsely the other day and LO! already, spring arrived, and the crocuses were huddled in fetal postions on the ground where the parsley lay. It was sad but hilarious--when did spring arrive?
Hi!! I found your blog on a path from the Crafty Crow to somewhere else and then it led me here. :) Seeing all of your catalogs made me smile, because I have been doing the same thing. I love your blog! :)
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