Countdown to Spring

It’s snowing again and I’m so ready for spring! According to Punxsutawney Phil we’ve got slightly under 5 weeks to go :(

The good news is that gives me plenty of time to get my garden plans in order. I placed the last of my seed orders tonight. Soon, the fun begins!

Introducing my 2009 veggie garden line-up:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumbers (pickling & slicing)
• Lettuce (iceberg, romaine, spring mix)
• Bush Beans
• Radishes
• Squash ( zucchini & yellow)
• Onions (red & green)
• Peppers (mild & hot chilis, red & green)
• Tomatoes (cherry, grape, early, slicing & paste)

I’m going to keep my herb garden simple this year:

• Basil
• Chives
• Dill
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Rosemary

The reason for that is that I’m going to grow a tea garden:

• Bee Balm
• Catnip
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Lemon Balm
• Spearmint
• Stevia

I thought it would be fun (and frugal) to grow and blend my own herbal teas! I’m also going to grow a couple types of edible flowers, which will be awesome in salads!

I’ll be using the square foot gardening method again this year, I had great success with it last year. Since I’ve got less than 1/4 acre to work with (.22 to be exact) I have to make every foot count!

Square foot gardening uses a mix of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost in raised beds, which are divided into 1′ x 1′ squares. Large plants take up several squares, smaller plants may be planted up to 16 plants to a square.

Some people look down their noses at this method, some even call it “eccentric”, but after seeing the amount of organic produce I got out of 64 square feet of growing space, I call it “smart”. And like I care if people think I’m eccentric!

I’m expanding my growing area this year and possibly adding an electric fence so I don’t have to split my tomato crop 20/80 with the squirrels. I’d love to can enough tomatoes, salsa, and ketchup to escape Monsanto and HFCS for most of the coming year. I’ll also be pickling, freezing, and possibly drying some of the other produce.

Here’s a photo of last year’s first harvest. It wasn’t much, but I sure was proud :)

I’m also planning a berry patch and flower beds, but more on those later :)