Growing Green

      It’s been exceptionally cold lately, hence the lack of posts when the cold outside translates to cold(s) at our house of a different kind, followed by a wintertime vacation!  It’s not uncommon to see the temperature gauge at a “balmy” 21 degrees when I trudge out of the mudroom to the cold frame to check on the broccoli and cauliflower plants that still remain in the garden.  Believe it or not, it’s been rather “warm” the past few weeks, ranging from the 20s to 40s as the high, whereas just four weeks ago the teens were warm.  This is also exceptionally warm and good weather when it’s Pennsylvania Farm Show Week.  (For those of you who are unfamiliar with Central Pennsylvania there are two notoriously bad weeks to go anywhere for the sake of weather and traffic: the farm show and the car show.)  Pulling my winter coat a little snugger each day, I made it to the frost-encrusted garden to lift the lid on the cold frame and seal the edges a little tighter.  Yup, the cauliflower was officially deadish-green and the broccoli was barely hanging on in these temperatures.  When does spring come?!

      As of today, with the garden piled under freshly fallen snow and the thermometer below freezing mark, there are now 52 days until the official start of spring, and just six days until the groundhog sees his shadow and rips our hearts out, proclaiming even more wintery weather.   (I swear it seems like this happens every year).  Outside the snow is blowing, the ten farm cats are bundled up in old bathroom towels warmed in the drier and stuffed into cardboard boxes (which they believe are warmer than their two cathouses or the barn), and my husband’s creative shoveling for the snowstorm(s) has already taken place.  We’re caught up (well kind of) with the housework left from being sick, and finally thinking spring! 

      We left off in the garden update on December 30th with the arrival of these little gems, which begun the annual seed catalog frenzy at our house!  Now highlighted, bookmarked and thoroughly beat up, these five catalogs have been through some rough times with the final edits of our seed order listings (but, really there will never be a final edit because let’s face it, no one can have too many seeds, just too little space). 

      Attempting to plan this year’s garden has been an ongoing process, since the cherry red tomatoes were being victoriously pulled last year and their carcasses tossed on the compost heap.  It was even more eagerly planned when the invasion of the beetles came to the berry bushes (unfortunately there was no Ringo or Paul to be seen).  Once the last of the plants were ripped from the browning autumn garden, the 2015 garden diagram was pulled out and true planning begun.  Yes, we got a new gourd to try… and some more tomato varieties that look like they’d be great for canning… and we just couldn’t pass up that broom straw we’ll “find room” for (or the popcorn that I still have no idea where it is going)… I sure hope there’s less laboring to do in the garden this year!  (See The Arrival of the Seed Catalogs if you missed the story behind this).
 

The NEW seeds for our 2015 garden.

      So now, we are happily waiting for spring to come (well actually mid-February) when we can get our planting on!  We truly got our preparations started last week while we were on “vacation.”  As you’re able to see we upgraded a bit.  From the ability to start fewer than 150 seeds crammed under one tiny light in a drafty kitchen, to the ability for 450+ seeds!  My hardworking husband came up with the seed starter shelf based off of various ideas we saw on Pinterest, and with some cheap lumber and second-hand lights (one more light to be added), it stands just four inches from the ceiling of the spare bedroom.  Yes, that does mean that I’ll have to stand on a chair to water the top plants, but it looks so much nicer than the folding table in our kitchen, and takes up a lot less room.  (Is it wrong to be giddy?) 

2014 Seed Starter (Left) and 2015 Seed Starter (Right)

      Now, we wait… until a few weeks before the last estimated frost… until snow melts… until the seeds sprout… until warmer weather… until the ground thaws… until the plants have hardened off… Phew!  That was a lot of waiting! 

      Happy garden planning everyone, while I go figure out where in the world this popcorn is going (that we just couldn’t pass up)!