In the Garden and Planning for Spring

Spring garden plans can be a bit dangerous when made in the winter months.  When it is terribly cold and I am stuck in the house, everything in the garden catalogs looks tempting.  My first priority was to check the garden and last year's seeds to see what I already had.  I came up with this list:

Jalapeno
Hungarian Jalapeno
Violet Bell Pepper
Pimiento Pepper
Pepperocini
Fish Pepper
Cucamelon
Yellow Pear Tomato
Cherokee Purple Tomato
Brandywine Tomato
Moneymaker Tomato
Sage
Parsely
Borage
Chives - Onion & Garlic
Bee Balm
Fennel
Roselle (Hibiscus)
Basil
Oregano - Italian & Mexican
Thyme
Mint - Peppermint, Spearmint, and Chocolate
Pineapple Sage
Lemon Balm
Stinging Nettle

Then I made a list of what I want to add:

Popcorn
Luffa Gourd (W's choice)
Mini Bell Pepper
Radishes
Lettuce
Lime Basil
Lemon Basil
Chamomile
Cilantro
Dill
Echniacea
Anise Hissop
Plantain
Yarrow
Calendula
Nasturtiums
Zinnias
Bachelor Buttons
Pie Pumpkins (on our farmland)

I also pre-ordered kiwi and passion fruit plants (will not be billed until they ship in April) and will order two elderberry plants (money already set aside).

Depending on how much of my grocery budget I can save this month, I may need to divide my order into two parts to fit my budget.  The flower seeds which I will sow directly into the beds do not need to be planted as early as the peppers.  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds offers free shipping to North America so I will not have extra charges if I split it up.


W has started work on the greenhouse. He is using boards from our old house so the cost of the remodel is very minimal.

These boards give it a very rustic look.  I am excited to see how it is coming along.


In the actual garden the turkeys discovered the cabbage.

I definitely need to come up with a better protection system if the turkeys are going to continue to free range.


I have several pepper plants that are small.  They were small enough to easily move so I dug them up and put them in buckets.  They will go into the greenhouse and then stay in the buckets in the garden area in the spring.  This will also free up a bit of space in my raised beds.

The herbs have been loving the warmer weather and have hit a growth spurt.

The kumquat tree is loaded with fruit.  Everyone's favorite way to eat them seems to be walking by the tree and plucking off a few.