Promises of Spring

January is a very special time for the garden-obsessed populace.

January?

Oh yes.
You see, at this time every year our mail box is inundated with seed catalogs from across the nation. Glorious, life-giving promises of bounteous harvests to come.


I get giddy just thinking about the possibilities.
What will we carry over from last year? What seeds are still viable in our cold storage? What will our budget allow for this time around?

Those Principe Borghese tomatoes were heavenly dried. Definitely a keeper.
The acorn squash were wonderful, but perhaps we should try for a larger butternut harvest this year instead?
Taylor definitely wants to grow more potatoes... strange, because he refuses to eat them. But again, he refuses to eat most things.
And then there are the greens.
Should I add a French Nicoise blend along with my tried and true Italian Saladini mix?
We most definitely need to raise some okra for pickles this year.
Ooh, and don't get me started on my herb garden.

This year I finally want to get my cold frames up and running.
With a little planning and finesse we could have the capability of extending our growing season indefinitely.

Oh, the prospects!!!!!!!


If your interest in gardening has been piqued like mine always is this time each year, here are a few awesome places to start:

My favorite seed companies include Territorial and Seeds of Change. Territorial's catalog also has great growing instructions, so you don't need an additional library of literature on how to space, plant, & grow their seeds.

If you're looking for fruit, I absolutely adore and have never been disappointed with Raintree Nursery-- something I cannot say for the more popular Stark Brothers, although they are pretty good too.

Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman is my Bible when it comes to all things garden-related. It completely changed my outlook on gardening in general, and living seasonally in particular. I highly, highly recommend this read.

If organic produce is important to you like it is to me, you will also enjoy The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control. There's a lot of great information in there, not just about insects and plant diseases but also basic growing info as well. I find it indispensable.



There is something inherently spiritual about gardening. Bringing new life into being, nurturing it, and letting it nourish you & your loved ones in return-- body & soul.

Ahhhhhhhhhh.
The promises of spring are already beginning to warm my soul.