Seed Ordering

Color has been arriving by mail over the past couple of weeks by way of seed catalogs.  These bright and cheerful  items come during the bleekest days of winter.  Not only do they arrouse interest in the planning of the garden for the coming year, but they are a delight to they eyes.

Inside these pages are all sorts of new varities that, while they may not tempt me, are amusing to read about. 

I'm just not in to purple vegetables that really weren't made to be purple, if you know what I mean.  Purple peppers??  I'm just not interested. 

The "Flower Section" of these booklets are bursting with color and are a delight to the eyes.  While I enjoy growing a few flowers, I don't have the time and engergy to give them the attention the poor things deserve.  I have a few favorites that are low maintenance.  These tend to be my go-to staples.  Maybe I'm in a flower rut.

Our garden is divided into two sections.  The first section will have been in use for seven years, so we are giving it a "rest".  We are still not sure what that is going to look like.  We have been counciled by friends to plant a green manure on this section.  Which is all well and good, but I don't want to plant something that will reseed itself and become an invasive weed that drives me nuts the next year.  My husband and I still need to do some other checking, but we would like to plant something and then till in under before it becomes a problem.

This also presents the issue of trust.  This will mean that our garden will be cut in half.  Some things that take up a large amount of space will have to take a break for the year.  Vegies such as sweet potatoes and perhaps corn will be purchased at our local farmer's market.  With the economic situation looming, we are considering making the garden section that we will be working this coming season a bit larger.  Our kids laugh that the garden keeps getting larger and it is just the two of us!  We do want to plant, not only for ourselves, but to share with others as well.  Trust comes in knowing that we need to do our part in planting and caring for our crops and that God is resposible for the outcome.  (Of course, that is the case every season, but with a smaller area, it will be more of a test.)

So, until the ground is ready, I need to sort through my seed box to see what I need to order for the spring planting.  Who knows what new thing will strike my fancy to try...if we have room!



"Sow your seed in the morning,

   and at evening let not your hands be idle,

 for you do not know which will

   succeed,

whether this or that,

or whether both will do equally well." 

--Ecclesiastes 11:6  (NIV)