New Beginnings--Garden Planning Time

In my Church's Young Women program they have something called New Beginnings.  The Leaders have a special program for those new "Beehives" to welcome them in and help them feel loved and valued.

The Theme for this years New Beginnings Meeting is a Garden Party.  How appropriate.  Spring and therefore gardens signal new beginnings.

This is a perfect time to start planning the garden.  Here in Swan Valley, the growing season is very short.  Most, who are serious about gardening here have a green house.  That is on the docket for us, but even with a green house, starting some plants indoors is the way to go.

(I'm sure I'll revise this a dozen times)

I start dreaming about a garden in January and by now it's time to start planning it.

I have had many gardens in the past.  Some successful, some not.  This is one thing I have learned: Plant what you'll eat and store up.  To me there's about nothing better than a home grown tomato.  Also, there's about nothing easier to bottle.  Bottling tomatoes plain lets you do so many things with them later.  I don't really worry about bottling salsa, or spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce or even tomato juice.  I can make all of the those things with plain bottled tomatoes.  My mother in law always said "store up ingredients".

So, I will plant tomatoes...

 

...and corn.  And peas and carrots of course.  And squash and zucchini and green beans and pickling cucumbers. I think I'll try celery this year and maybe kale.  Maybe not.

 I've tried and failed at herbs and need to study up on those a lot more so I can finally succeed.

 Someday, I'd like raspberry and other berry patches. Oh and current bushes. For when the power goes out.

ha

Until we get our own berry patches we'll pick the wild bounty of berries around this area.

We also try and plant the accompanying flower that keep bugs away.  That reminds me.  I want to plant a slew of lemon grass.  It's supposed to keep repel mosquitoes.

Can you plant a bug zapper?

Anyway, it's time to start the starts.

New beginnings.  Not just for Young Women anymore.  ;)

OH, and pumpkins, and gourds.  Lot's and lot's of pumpkins and gourds.

And radishes!  Who can forget those?!  And onions and chives and peas. Oh, I already said peas. 

 And maybe red potatoes or Yukon golds...