Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the middle of a Wisconsin winter

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It is January, now begins my dreams and thoughts about the coming gardening season, I'm looking through my seeds, looking through seed catalogs, and scribbling plans in my notebook. I'm checking out my seed starting supplies and making sure my lights work.

So share what you are dreaming of or planning for the coming season, I am going to try growing vegetables like green beans in 50 gallon water tanks to be used as my raised beds, I want to add a few more fruit trees, grow my chard and kale amongst my flowers, dig up one messy weed filled bed and put in some hydrangeas. Just to mention a few.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have not heard of Fedco. I will have to look that up. Is it a local company?

Yep. It's based in Maine, so caters to the Northern gardener. Lots of good varieties including heirloom. Good pricing, multiple package sizing, and my favorite: They are a partner of OSSI (Open Source Seed Initiative) committed to keeping as many seed varieties as possible in the public domain. They do not knowingly purchase GMO seeds, nor do they purchase from Monsanto or any of it's subsidiaries. They also do not carry Dow or Dupont products. They also sell tubers, bulbs, and trees. Based on their stand against big chemical, I choose to purchase from them, not to mention the fact that their seeds have always done very well for me, and are extremely competitively priced. They also sell products geared towards managing poultry and 4 footed farm beasties, though I have not bought any of those products.

That's the greatest endorsement I'll ever give for a company. And, no I do not work for Fedco!!!

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am so going to suggest you send these pics to better homes and gardens!!

Every time I see them I go emerald green with envy.

I will have to think on my gardens some.....

 

[rosemarythyme]

I like golden beets in an orange sauce: boil 1 bunch sliced golden beets until tender (about 15 minutes), drain, and then add 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp orange juice or orange marmalade, and 1/2 Tbsp butter. Cook another 5 minutes, and serve.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Now that it's winter I'm thinking of gardening again. All the aches and pains it caused are forgotten, all the weeds, long since gone. Anyone want to share next year's dreams with me again?

Since my last posts I got a good summer under my belt with my raised boxes. It was the easiest and most productive garden season I've had in a long while.



I grew my cucumbers up a cattle panel arch, picking was so simple.



It was the first year I was ever able to get a fall crop of lettuce.





I planted my tomatoes in a totally new area, and they all got blight pretty bad, so next year they are going in my boxes. I might need a ladder to pick them.

I grew mini hooligan pumpkins this year, and they were very productive as well as extremely delicious, so more of them next year for sure.



I'm still working on simplifying my large perennial beds so they need very few annuals, and very little weeding to look good.



Though a few marigolds and zinnia are always a welcome sight.

So anyone else scheming and dreaming? Care to share your plans again? It's gonna be a long winter again.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Wow those raised beds and perennial beds look wonderful! I currently have 3 small raised beds but I'd like to add another 2 or 3. My current ones are just cheap kits from a home improvement store, but I can't decide if I should make the next set of beds or buy a higher quality kit (there's some really nice looking ones out there, in a variety of materials).

I just got a glossy color catalog of heirloom seeds in the mail a few days ago and now I can't stop planning my spring and summer veggie garden. Some seeds I'd like to try this upcoming year: green and wax beans, albino beets, mizuna, "spinach" chard, white cherry tomatoes.

I need to clean up the greenhouse too. It's not really that usable (it's a small walk-in kit type that the previous owners assembled it but stuffed it with junk and left it like that) but I need some place to get seedlings going in spring.

I have not heard or seen white beets and tomatoes. I will have to keep my eyes out on those seed catalogs to see what else is new. I had tried some black varieties of tomatoes and found them delicious.

My raised beds are definitely a luxury. I had one knee replaced and need the other one done, so my kneeling and squatting down days are over, and my back can only take so much bending.

There are a lot of nice kits out there. I enjoy my catalog from Gardeners Supply Company. I haven't ordered from them because of the prices, but I have gotten tons of inspiration from their catalog.

I have always wanted a greenhouse. You are lucky to have one.

 

[lazy gardener]

My raised beds are definitely a luxury. I had one knee replaced and need the other one done, so my kneeling and squatting down days are over, and my back can only take so much bending.

Your raised beds are NOT a luxury. They are a NECESSITY! We should start a thread specifically for "Adaptive gardening".

My greenhouse is currently "leaves for chicken run" storage. In the future I'm hoping to have a mini barn where our old, unused shed is, and have a large chicken coop and a greenhouse built into that.

My green house is also being used as leaf storage right now. I had planted some kale and garlic in it, but... the leaves needed to be kept dry, so my winter garden is not going to happen any time soon.

 

[lazy gardener]

Fedco catalog came!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Fedco catalog came!!!

I have not heard of Fedco. I will have to look that up. Is it a local company?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Gardening with joint problems and arthritis is definitely a challenge. My biggest tip is make the husband do it, but sometimes I still want to do some of it, so that would be a great thread.

People like that idea! I started the thread and they are saying that it was a good idea. Kudos to you!