Plotting the Plots for Plants

Once again it's time to start plotting against the plants. Yes, that's right. Plant murdering time again. Every year I successfully euthanize at least two gardens.

This year will be different! Really!!!!

I've been reading a lot about winter sowing seeds. (www.wintersown.org) As I get things together I'll post pictures, etc. But for now I'm just having fun cataloging what the plans are.

We have tons of soil in bags but no compost yet. From what I've been reading, nothing fancy is needed for the soil yet. Just a nice place for the seeds to sleep outside. That I can manage.

I'll also need some little "mini green houses". I can manage that, too. People have used large ziploc bags (we've been washing out the 1 gallon sized ones as we use them). Some have used those plastic "clam shell" containers from salad bars. Greg gets those for free from work. (They come with his lunch that the generous taxpayers pay for.) Cool whip containers work, too. Lemmee see.... (looking around in the avalanche area also known as the "tupper cabinet"...) YUP! There's a few in there.

We have some lovely sunny spots almost due south for them to live for now (the front porch) and plenty of space for planters. (We have to do the ol' container garden thing because of where we live.) Greg gets to build them. Sometimes he acts excited about this and sometimes he just sighs and mutters "more mass graves...." We have 65 "squares" - 1'x1' mini-plots for veggies (square foot gardening method). Well, four of those are 1'x1.5' and we'll use those for the three sisters planting. We also have 25 pots for flowers and herbs.

What else am I doing this year? Less. A LOT less. These past few years have been so hectic and crazy that while I could get a garden (or two) planted, I never did have time to take care of it. This year my feet will be fixed (next surgery in about two weeks). We will NOT have any body else living with us (long story).

And the most important thing? Relinquishing control. Yes, I will monitor, talk to, water, weed, and feed the plants. However, I will not obsess over them. They are Heavenly Father's creations and I am just the facilitator. I'm the surrogate mommy so to speak. (Without the worry of having to fork out tons of money for therapy once they're grown.)

And I'm working on the whole "Keep the Sabbath Day Holy" thing. Yes, that's another post. And yes, I WILL write it! Tomorrow... tomorrow is wash day so I can do lots of writing while the clothes are soaking in the tub. And it's a half day, which means Charlotte with either go to her friend's house, or friend will come here. Either way I'll have more time in the afternoon to write.

Where was I? Oh yes... reaching for the ritalin... no... it wasn't that... umm.... SEEDS! Yes, seeds....

So we have planned out where the containers will go and how big they will be (even took measurements). I have studied a lot and am prepared to try several different types of planting (square foot, three sisters, winter sowing).

Now to the best part.... SEEDS!

Here's what we'll have in our garden veggie-wise:

Potatoes (from seeds)
Pumpkin
Peppers (green and red sweet)
Broccoli
Carrots (a couple different kinds)
Beans (bush and pole, and "Dragon Tongue" heirloom)
Peas
Onion (Golden Sweet and Evergreen Long White Bunching)
Summer Squash
Winter Squash (variety)
Lettuce (ice berg, mesculin mix, caesar's favorite)
Cantelope
Watermelon
Radishes
Cucumber (traditional and "Lemon" heirloom)
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Beets
Corn (sweet, early)
Tomatoes

Herbs:
Chives
Fennel
Oregano
Dill
Parsley
Basil
Cilantro

There are a few more herbs we want to get, but that's what we have seed-wise so far.

Towards the end of the growing season, I'd like to learn how to save my own seeds so I'm not always dependent upon somone else, or mass shipping, or governmental infrastructure, to grow a garden.

As I go through the stages I'll put up pics.