Seeds of Love 2011 : Planning

Every Spring since we've been married Collin and I have taken on a gardening project of some kind. This year is no exception.

One of the things we looked for in a new house last year during our search was a large yard. Mostly for Early Girl to have space to run, but also so that we could have a garden again. Watching plants grow is satisfying for us beyond the eventual harvest. We fully enjoy the dirt in our hands, the sun on our shoulders. Taking time each evening after work to say hello, tidy up, and give the earth a drink while we wind-down from our day. This time of year is sweet and always gets me looking forward to the summer days of grilling on the patio with friends, sharing the beautiful space we've grown to enjoy.

Good thing we both have green thumbs!

On the list for this year's garden are:

Sungold cherry tomatoes
'4th of July' early tomatoes
'Brandywine Pink' heirloom tomatoes
salsa hot peppers
Poblano peppers
'Chinese Giant' bell peppers
snow peas
lima beans
carrots
scallions
white cucumber

We're not sure what will do well in our yard but we're happy to find out and give these a shot. We've grown tomatoes and peppers before but most of the stuff on the list is new to us. Our yard has bright shade throughout the day and direct sunlight in the earlier morning hours when it's still cool. In hot, swampy Florida I think this is a good thing. Soon enough, we'll find out if the plants agree.

This year, we're constructing two raised bed frames and using square-foot-gardening techniques. All new to us! I checked out Mel Bartholomew's book, (All New) Square Foot Gardening at the library a few weeks ago and have been absorbing the information and making a list of supplies. I'm off to purchase them this afternoon so that first thing tomorrow morning, we can get started.

We ordered our live plants and seeds from Burpee.com this year for the first time. The seeds have already arrived, and the live plants will ship at the end of March for the perfect planting time according to our zone (which is 8b). Goals for the weekend include building the boxes, mixing the soil components, constructing the trellises, planting the seeds we have, and spiffing up the patio some. Since moving in we've concentrated mostly on the interior and now that Spring has sprung, we're so ready to get outside!