Big Garden: Relearning Old Lessons

So, I’ve admitted to being a garden slacker. I’m intending to mend my ways but I got another reminder of why the old ways don’t work.

In the good old days, when gardening was new and I was learning, I poured over every catalog that came my way. It took me a while to get over being ready to order every “garden kit” that showed beautiful cartoon-like drawings of what my garden could look like.

In fact, I almost fell for a few before I kept reading and learning and soon, thankfully, realized that the plants shown would never bloom at the same time and so, therefore, my garden would never look like the proposed selection.

That was a particularly hard lesson to learn. But, I got past it and while it meant I needed to learn a lot more about colors, heights, and blooming times not to mention, sun requirements, I was learning.

Until I got frustrated and shut down. I realize that now.

SO, going forward, I will NOT just pick up a plant that looks interesting. I will actually PLAN what goes into a Perennial Border, just as I have always done with the Vegetable Section.

But, here is the lesson from today: I wanted to order some seeds for direct sowing and waited too long – most were out of stock.

Lack of inspiration led to procrastination and now disappointment.

Garden Planning

Finally got around to checking the seed inventory and going through seed catalogs. So, I am gearing up again – seed germinating soil, clogs, and seeds are on order, and I WILL clean up my workbench this week (STRONG note to self!), so I can start my seeds this weekend.
I even got the plans drawn for where things will be planted – putting all these things into Excel sure made it faster and easier this year. Just wish some garden elves would appear to clean that workbench – how does it get to be a dumping ground once the seeds move outside?!

Jan 6th – The Real January

There are some things to do about gardening in January, but for the life of me, I can’t yet recommend them.

Until the holiday decorations are put out of my no-longer-tolerant sight, I can’t allow myself to sink into the couch with the catalogs, notepad, planner in hand. While a good way to pass the cold months, this is still work.

So, what do I truly do in the weeks between wrapping on 12/24 to “un-decorating” after 1/6 besides the usual, obligatory holiday stuff?

I read trashy novels. They are mindless and require so little. The winter equivalent of the beach book, they are a vacation in January. And, if I can arrange the quiet time to have Josh or Enrique singing in Italian or Spanish in the background, a glass of wine on the side table, I can survive winter.

How do you make it through?

Jan 2 – The Seed Catalogs Cometh

A week away means that our mail was held, and I am having to wait for all those glorious, gorgeous seed catalogs that will have my mailman glad he drives a truck for delivery.

While I also wait for something worthy of my resolved photography intentions, I will review the catalogs that come my way, and let you all know what I have discovered through the years of my purchases from them. Not all sources are equal, and I will explain why I feel that way.

Advent Wreath

I am WAY behind on my holiday tasks but I did finally get outside, during daylight, to gather holly and pine  boughs for my family’s Advent Wreath.  It has been really cold here  in southern Ohio and we even got a little snow – settled on the grass but left the roads and walk alone. Perfect. We are due to have a little more this weekend which should be just perfect for cutting a tree. Can’t wait but that will just about finish my gardening year until the catalogs show up on 12/26…