As a gardener, I love January. Its that delightful time of year when the hustle and bustle of the holidays has passed and I get to sit down with the latest seed catalogs and dream of flower gardens overflowing with lush, green foliage and bright flowers. It's the time of year when I dream of crisp, young cucumbers and juicy, red tomatoes on the vine.
January is marked with dreams of bright future, which includes my garden. Cozy evenings by the fire browsing the many options for this year's garden are just the beginning. If you are anything like me, and I'm betting you are, you already know the joy of checking out the new varieties of flowers and vegetables available.
January is also the time to begin planning. Planning is the first step to bringing those flowers and veggies to life and improves the chances that you will follow through with your gardening dreams. So let's get to it, shall we?
You will need seed catalogs, a highlighter, a notepad and pen, a blank planner or calendar and a cup of steaming coffee.
- Browse the seed catalog and circle or highlight the flowers and veggies you want to grow. Don't worry about the details just yet, you can narrow down your choices later.
- Evaluate you choices to determine if they are right for your area. Look for days to maturity, recommended planting zones, soil type and watering needs.
- Create a list of the plants you want to grow, separating them by lighting needs.
- Narrow down the list to a manageable number. As painful as it may be to cross items off your list, remember that space is limited and you probably don't have the time or energy to grow them all this year.
- Create a calendar for seed starting for those plants that you need to start from seed. Use the plant description and seed starting info as your guide.
- Fill out the order form, or order online, now to avoid delays in shipping.
Until next time, Happy Gardening!
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