2015 Season

This week we finally got some above zero temperatures and the large amount of snow accumulated is finally starting to melt.  We've had one of the most consistently cold Winters (especially February) this year and everything have been frozen solid till now.  

Although the start of Spring is still one week away, I've been having a serious case of Spring fever the last few days.  I started the first batch of seeds with the "take out box and wet paper towel" method.  These are the seeds that requires the earliest start because it takes a while for the seedlings to grow - various tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants.  I'm hoping that by starting the seeds early this year I will have stronger plants and hopefully a higher fruit yield. 

Along with that I've started some seeds for cilantro and dill.  Hopefully they will get going soon and give us some delicious herbs to use early Summer.  This year I'm also going to start some seeds outdoors directly (such as beans, peas, and lettuces) as soon as the soil is warm enough to work.  

Next step is to plan out this year's vegetable garden design!

~ Rebecca 

Preparation

Time to get planning!  After reading a few excellent gardening books by Gayla Trail and learning about some excellent gardening hints and tips, I'm all ready to think gardening!  First, let's do some organizing....

With the slightly disappointing planting season last year (not entirely my fault - the weather really did not cooperate), this time around I'm going to start specific seeds as early as possible - in this case it's peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes.  I've started my seed starting and planting chart (above) to get myself organized,  but also to review my seed inventory and figure out what seeds I need to replenish.

Speaking of seeds, do other gardeners have the same problems of buying / collecting too many seeds?  It takes me a few seasons to fully finish using a packet of seeds, but every year I still have the urge to buy more (seed hoarder?).  I buy almost all my seeds from Urban Harvest - they carry heirloom and organic seeds with varieties that are tried and tested for planting in our climate zones (on top of that it's a good way to support local businesses).

Summary for today:
- seed planting schedule:  check
- buy new seeds - done.
- collect and clean planting vessels (this weekend)....

Almost there! :)

~ Rebecca