It’s planning time!

“Oh, Colleen, I can’t wait to start going through your book and planning my garden!” was the comment my sister-in-law made on Christmas Eve. Earlier that week, she had been lamenting to another sister-in-law that she didn’t have any space for a garden. My other sister-in-law was quick to point out that she had plenty of space for a garden box on the side of her garage that receives full sun. Well, she had never thought of that before and was so excited to tell me she was going to have a garden this year.

We hope you have also been looking at our book and would like to grow your own produce – now that the holidays are over, it’s time to start looking at the seed catalogs. January is the perfect time to plan and order seeds. I’m especially excited this year as both of our girls and their families will be here during this gardening season. (I think the girls are excited, too; and might be feeling extra-ambitious!) This is the list we have planned so far: salad greens (leaf lettuce & spinach); beets; cucumbers; green beans; zucchini; carrots; tomatoes; onions; delicata, buttercup and butternut squash; jalapeno, red and green peppers; red and sweet potatoes; red and green cabbage.

If you are a first-time gardener, you might want to start small. Plant a half dozen or so of your favorite vegetables to help your first year be successful. As you become more familiar with gardening, you can increase the number of vegetables you plant each year. Check out our gardening blogs on our website for further information.  No matter the size of the garden—be it a simple pot of herbs in your house, container gardens on your deck or patio, raised garden beds or a traditional yard garden, we are confident you will find great satisfaction in growing your food right from your own garden, and we’ll be here to answer any questions on your new adventure!