Buying Seeds

By MamaQ

If you're going to garden this year, this is a gentle reminder that you may want to start thinking about buying your seeds now and starting those seedlings.  Already?  Yes, already!

Which means you have to start planning exactly what you want to grow and where you're going to grow it.

Is this easier to do if you live in the 'burbs and have a ton of land?  I live in DC.  Very small yard.  Very small raised bed in the front yard that gets sketchy light.  But I insist on doing this, even if last year (my first in our new house) was a bit of a disappointment.  It sometimes takes time to establish a healthy, vibrant garden and to learn what is going to work best on your little patch.  I tend to dream big and over-indulge in my seed purchases, which can be a problem when I have such limited space to grow everything!

So many questions this year: do I stick with square-foot gardening?  Should I take over the tree box on the sidewalk in front of our house?  Is lead a problem in my soil?  Will all the bulbs I planted last spring come up again this year? Oh, I have fantasies of a lovely oasis of a yard that yields billion of flowers and all the veggies we can eat - this was my mother's garden and it is my inspiration. 

Glorious!

I've been pouring over my seed catalogs (I like John Scheepers, Botanical Interests and Seeds of Change) and organizing my seeds from last year to see what new stuff I need to order.  This is seriously so exciting - these catalogs are like garden porn.  I could browse through them all day! But this year I vow to plan better. For some fabulous garden plans and layouts, check out Better Homes and Gardens. I'll be posting updates from my garden as the year goes on.  In the meantime, please share your tips and favorite gardening resources - I have so much to learn!