Season of Garden Planning

Well, the holidays are over. I hope yours were as peaceful and filled with family fun as ours was. We stepped it back this year and kept it even more simple than usual. It was nice! Maybe it was just lazy, but still Daddy was home for almost two weeks and it was wonderful. So happy new year. And now: it's the season of seed catalogs! I'm so excited to start planning gardens. The children are helping, of course. One wants nothing but pumpkins and melons, another wants lots of strawberries, and another wants to grow herbs and flowers, perhaps "medicine herbs"? My garden will have pickling cucumbers this year, paste tomatoes, lots of tomatoes in general, okra, carrots, potatoes, onions, and some flowers.

Of course, a few things that probably won't make it into my garden this year, in spite of my imaginings. Flax, to spin and weave into linen, of course. A garden to dye wool with. A cottage garden, full of flowers and herbs and veggies all jumbled together with hydrangeas, climbing roses, and plenty of lavender. My husband's ideal garden would probably contain wheat, barley, and hops, if you know what I mean (to brew, sillies!)

White Flower Farms is one of my favorites for browsing and dreaming, but my actual money will be spent on much more practical items. Heirloom Seeds is one of my favorites because it's located rather close to me (in PA). Seeds of Change is also one of my favorites. Our garden size will be doubled this year so I'm gonna probably be putting food away like crazy, but at least this summer I'll not be unpacking or trying to catch up on school with the kiddies. So maybe I'll have more time for canning and freezing. Maybe.

Here's a couple pictures from last year:

A little child labor. Actually, he's getting his garden ready for planting corn and butternut squash. And here is another picture of my pretty pickles! And my canning pot! I know you're just riveted!