The Joy of a Seed Catalog....in January

 

With January quickly coming to an end, it's time to start planning this years' vegetable and flower garden.

 

I know it must sound silly, but I actually get giddy thinking about the new seed catalog. Do you get excited thumbing through the pages?

 

 

Yesterday, the much anticipated catalog arrived !

 

 

I started ordering my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds when I still owned the farm. Click HERE, if you would like to order their free catalog, or just browse the online catalog.

 

 

So tonight, after dinner, I will begin my 2015 Garden Plans. I know my eyes will be bigger than my budget.

 

 

What fun it is to grow something new from a faraway land, like the Kajari Melon. It is believed to originate in the Punjab region of India.

 

 

In the meantime, I still have a few herbs growing.

 

 

 

Even with the temperatures dipping in the 20's, I have managed to keep parsley, cilantro, chives, and sage growing. I simply cover them with a large clay pot, protecting them during the night.

 

 

The Iceland Poppy (Papaver) offers some cool weather blooms.

 

 

Also, the ornamental cabbage thrives through the cool nights.

 

 

And best of all, I will soon have a pot of blooming narcissus

to cheer me on....

 

Meggie Mac

Tomato Plants Are Growing



Ranunculas in the Greenhouse

With all the rain we had last week, the weeds are doing great!

So are the flowers and grass....

The variegated cannas, waking up from their winter nap, have spectacular foliage all summer. Later, when the nights warm  up, they will have orange blooms.

The bees love the blooms that the pittosporum has in the early spring.

They also can't resist the flowers of the honeysuckle vine.

I like my flowers to spill over and creep outside the edge of the garden beds. Here the honeysuckle is sending out runners in the pittosporum. Don't you think they look nice together?

Do you recognize these buds?

They belong to the trumpet vine. It is ready to burst into bloom. Do you see all the buds?

About a week ago I showed the wild dewberry plant. They are now in full bloom. Next will come the dewberries. Then comes the dewberry muffins! And jam, too.

Can you believe the potatoes are this tall in March?

Back in the greenhouse, the tomatoes are getting stronger.

All 72 of them......and six varieties.

And 72 pepper seedlings are beginning to see the light. In a few days, another tray will be ready to come out and take their place in the greenhouse.

They are depending on me for their care....

Meggie Mac

This Can't Be February

Roses this time of year? My roses have been blooming for over a month.

The temperatures have been unseasonably warm. It reached 79 degrees yesterday.

And the rains have been good for several weeks.

So, you might be asking, "What is the problem?" It is the time of the year I prune back the old growth of last year. I just don't have the heart to cut the roses back with so many buds on them. As you can see, the foliage is a bit scraggly, still handing on from last season.

I will prune them....just not today.

After reading Ngo Family Farm post from yesterday, I decided I would do the same and list the "new" varieties of seeds I will be trying for the 2012 garden. Check out my list by clicking on Garden 2012. You can also find it at the top of this page under the blog header.

Don't forget to also check out Jamie's blog, Ngo Family Farm. She posts beautiful photo's and has great ideas, including her planting list for this year.

Meggie Mac

Garden Seed Giveaway

Do you get excited when the first seed catalog of the year arrives? I've had mine since before Christmas. I only plant heritage seeds that are non-hybrid, non-Gmo, and non-treated and non-patented.

The new varieties are so tempting that it is difficult to keep the order list short. In years past, I've started so many seeds that my greenhouse was overflowing. It can be fun to share the seedlings with family and friends.

Today I'm thinking I will do the same this year. Oh, the joy of sharing!

So, here is what I propose to you, my dear readers.... click on  my seed catalog and make a choice of 1 packet of seeds.  The first 10 comments on my blog will be the winners. Be sure you leave your email address so I can notify the winners. I will accept comments until Friday, January 20th. I will announce the winners by Monday, January 23rd.

 The rules are.... you must be signed on as a "follower" of this blog.

 The seed company has also told me on international orders, there is always a small chance the seed packet will not pass customs.

What I ask in return is that you keep me informed via the blog of your success. With your permission, I will post any photos you send my way.

So, go back to the first of this posting and click on the word seed catalog. Start drooling over the beautiful photos and the endless possibilities in our 2012 vegetable garden.

Meggie Mac