Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's the end of January. I'm beginning to scheme out this coming years garden. I don't garden as big or as much as I used to, but I still enjoy dreaming.

This time of year the catalogs are arriving daily, the seeds are out in the stores, and I'm itching to get going, but my gardens are covered by snow. It's gonna be a few months before I can get my hands on some unfrozen ground, so in the meantime I'm dreaming and making plans.

I'm about to start a few perennial seeds, and I'm trying to root a sweet potato. I'm on my second potato. The first refuses to do anything. I'm still hopeful. If not I will order some slips.

So anyone else dreaming and scheming? Wanna share your plans or hopes for the coming season? I want to hear them.

@21hens-incharge you, or anyone else wanna chew the garden fat? As the saying goes.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Always big dreams, that by mid June are frying in the Colorado hot sun.

Which perennials are you starting? I have a few things that I MIGHT be able to start this early.
I have not even managed to set up my seed station yet.

Ah, the seed catalogs with their bright colors, descriptions to draw us in, and pictures of supreme examples of the plants. I make lists, look again, Google how they would do in Colorado, Google seed starting tips for them. Then purge most off the list and start over.

Plans for this year are big of course.
First we need some hardscaping. I have problem areas....big problem areas.

Number one is dealing with my big dog kennel. They dig, dogs do that. However having gone through a dog swallowing a rock, nearly dying and costing a fortune to save has made my decision to pave the kennel. That is roughly 612 square feet of back breaking labor.

While I do have trees in the back yard there is no shaded patio, bbq area. The plan WAS to build a floating deck and pergola. Due to overhead lines that will now be a pergola and flagstone or paver patio.

Seating....yeah we basically have one bench and some plastic chairs. I will be building a few planter benches to be placed in shady areas.

Soil for growing is bad here. It is hard thick clay that cracks....like grand canyon cracks. Watering just increases the water table. Over the last 20 years I have added tons and tons of organics and still it cracks. Going raised boxes, beds, pots seems to be my only hope.

My front flower bed has many perennials that are dying out. Weeds are trying to take over. That whole thing is getting a redo. Soooooo many bulbs to try and find. I plan a berm of good soil and hopefully plants that perform better.

Veggies.....That is where I need to focus a bit more....growing what my family will actually use and trying to stop ground splits.

Well that was a novel.

Hoping to hear what others plan to do, grow, accomplish, and enjoy.

 

[Melodychick]

my gardens are covered by snow.

No snow here, just rain! Way too wet to do anything out there, although I have lettuce, broccoli, kale and garlic growing. I had plans to be out there this month and next prepping beds and planting potatoes and onions, but if it keeps raining there will be no point because they will all rot! I have started a few tomato seeds indoors and plan to start some squash today since it’s raining again! Well at least the ducks are happy...

@21hens-incharge sounds like you have your work cut out for you! We expect lots of pics!

by mid June are frying in the Colorado hot sun.

Same here, just add MS humidity, sigh...

 

[21hens-incharge]

No snow here, just rain! Way too wet to do anything out there, although I have lettuce, broccoli, kale and garlic growing. I had plans to be out there this month and next prepping beds and planting potatoes and onions, but if it keeps raining there will be no point because they will all rot! I have started a few tomato seeds indoors and plan to start some squash today since it’s raining again! Well at least the ducks are happy...

@21hens-incharge sounds like you have your work cut out for you! We expect lots of pics!



Same here, just add MS humidity, sigh...

UGH humidity! I would DIE! Here just 30% is high.

There will definitely be pictures. First project will be the dog kennels. That gets started this Saturday. I need to top off the pea gravel space at the South end. I must do that before backwards thinking interferes with it. Hubs.....gotta love him but dang!! There is no sense in laying pavers then running a heavy wheelbarrow over top. Yes, that is the order he wants to do the kennel in.
Um, NO.
There is a very good reason I do the heavy work around here.......I do not do it without a thorough plan.

I have to get the dogs in a safer space. The digging MUST stop.

Timing will be important for veggies of course. I am hoping to have the kennel DONE before veggie time.

I envy the early planting that can happen in the South but definitely not the humidity.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It is a tad bit early here to start some perennials, but I'm gathering my supplies. I'm trying to get my few remaining flower beds to be self sustaining, so I'm trying to start some stuff that will hopefully self seed. I tried direct seeding but it didn't work. Maybe some will come up this year after going through a chilling cycle.

I plan to start some columbine, Echinacea, Shasta daisy, delphinium, and hollyhocks, to name a few. I'm also gonna start some long growing annual/biannual like viola, and pansy. I may start some petunias. They take a while too.

We get cold, heat, but generally not over 90 in the summer, but we get high humidity in the summer here. Probably not southern humidity, but enough to melt me in the summer.

Due to joint problems my husband built me some raised garden boxes for my vegetables. Those are so easy, but they need watering almost daily.

I'm gonna continue to try to make my flower beds self sustaining. I can't get down to weed on the ground, and using long handled tools is also uncomfortable.

@21hens-incharge I'm exhausted listening to your plans. I look forward to seeing the results.

My garden boxes are out there somewhere.


I'm hoping for an early spring. Some years i can plant in March. Many years i have to wait until mid April to May. Our frost date is May 15. Seems so far away.

I've been dabbling more in container gardening, and grow bags. I'm contemplating trying the straw bale growing just to see how it goes.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've become a big fan of hydrangeas. I've been adding them yearly.


I didn't take a lot of garden pictures last year.

 

[Melodychick]

That hydrangea is beautiful! Which one is it?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That hydrangea is beautiful! Which one is it?

I believe it's vanilla strawberry. It's so gorgeous. The flowers change the amount of pink in them.

 

[Melodychick]

I may need to get one!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I may need to get one!

Everyone needs one. Gorgeous flower and nearly no work. I definitely need another.