HAPPY SPRING! First batch of seeds on the way!

Oh yippy skippy! ( I cannot wait to learn more about blogging and adding some pictures ect to the blog, but for right now, it is what it is :) )

Anyway, so sorry, I ordered this first batch of seeds thru  ,http://www.victoryseeds.com.  This year I am trying to use mostly heirloom seeds.  I have gotten on the GMO band wagon, and by using heritage or heirloom seeds, no hybrids, I want to see if I can get back to the old types of plants.  If they get crushed by disease, or overcome with some fungus, then I will go back to some hybrids.  I really think though that they will all do very well.  I am planting a combination of raised bed row, and SFG too, and the SFG system says to mix up your plants.  Do not have all of one species in one spot.  That makes them easy targets for the bugs that like them.  If you plant everything in the same amounts, but spreading them out among your garden, you will help to "trick" the bugs, they wont know where to go.  Another benefit of doing it this way is that some of the bugs that eat a certain plant, may also like to eat predator bugs!  The other benefit of this method is planting deep rooted plants among shallow rooted plants, the deep rooted ones draw water deeper, and the shallow rooted ones can be planted so as to act as a living mulch.  Win win!

Would you like to know what I ordered for this weekend (hopefully!) to plant?
I will give you one- Shin Kuroda Carrots

Go and check out Victory Seeds, they have a great website, and there are reviews along with pictures by actual people who have grown them.  I get lost in seed catalogs and web sites, how about you?
Tomorrow maybe the rest of my early planting list, and trying to figure out how to upload my garden plan!

Today is a great day, one all of us gardeners have been looking forward to, the first day of Spring!!!!!
Happy spring everyone!!!

Today I start!

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring!!  Oh thank you thank you!!  This is the winter that never ends.
My compost pile thawed out finally!  The ground is starting to thaw! My plans feel real now!  The best thing though, today I start some of my seeds~!

Today I am starting, some lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, some herbs as well, Basil, Parsley, Dill.  Just the act of planting one seed helps me to feel the dirt in my hands, and feel like this is really it, spring has sprung@!

If the winter that never ends, ends, I will have so much more to share!

I cannot wait for the is winter to end!  I have not even started seeds in my house, but plan on it this week.  I cannot wait another minute, I need to seed! I need dirt, I need my garden gloves on.  So I will seed this week, even if I have no clue when our last frost may be this year, the year of the NEVER ENDING WINTER......
I will post a list of the plants I am planting this year, I will give you a list of types of seeds ect next week.
But for today, I will leave you with a tip I learned.  If you live in western PA or eastern OH you can plant your peas and potatoes when the forsythia blooms!
Forsythia is my very most favorite spring flower.  So bright, so promising of the beautiful sunny days that are ahead of us.  So this year, the forsythia blooming may signal more that one thing for you to look forward to.
Here is to the first signs of spring!
Do you have any old wives tails dealing with planting times in your area? I would love to share some!

What are your thoughts on GMO's?

One of the reasons that I got back into gardening as more than a hobby is what I am reading about GMO's.  Now if you garden at all, I have to assume you have heard of these.  They are Genetically Modified  Organisims.  And that basically boils down to, a chemical engineer messed with natures way, tweaked a gene or two and made corn that can be sprayed with Roundup pesticides and not be killed. Or they have been modified to now resist a virus or fungus that used to plague the plants.

But is this a good thing?  For the huge farming operations of course.  For the people eating it, they tell us it is fine, but if that is the case, why do all the European countries ban them?  Has our society become so obsessed with money that we disregard our health and safety?  Even if the GMO itself is not harmful, (which I doubt) then what about the gallons of pesticides dumped on them, or the chemical fertilizers that they use to encourage rapid growth?

All of these things add up to me deciding to start my gardening in earnest again.  The funny thing is, I had forgotten how much I love to garden, how it makes me settle down , lets me dig in the sweet earth, and contemplate the goodness of the earth all around me,.

I hear the robins singing!

Yes fellow gardeners, I heard the robin singing this weekend.  And to me that means spring is waiting to spring!!
How many of you have your seed lists ready to order?  How many have their plans all set?  How about starting seeds?  I am debating starting seeds indoors this year.  Frankly I have never done it, I usually sow directly in the ground or purchase the plants that I need from a nursery.
But I realized there are so very many varieties that I am missing out on, so this year I am jumping into the seed starting fray.  The ones I intend on starting are my tomatoes, peppers and Brussels  sprouts.  I will direct sow beans, potatoes (sweet and regular) peas (my favorite early veg), cucumbers, onions, beets, carrots (another favorite!) winter squash, butternut squash (new for me this year), pumpkin, (new for us this year).  I am building more beds as soon as the ground thaws (please be soon!).
Can I ask, are any of you starting to garden with an eye towards food prices skyrocketing?  I watch the drought in CA and I know that the prices will continue to skyrocket, and our pay will not.  I also see some sort of economic collapse in our future.  So many people have forgotten HOW to garden that is something drastic happens they will not have a clue how to provide food for their family.  So many of the "non gardeners" think "well I will dig a hole, plant a seed and get a tomato", or I will plant five of this plant and that will be so much food that I can eat for a year, only to find out that a bushel of tomatoes may only make 12 quarts the sauce you like.  Right now, when we are not in want, is the time to learn all you can about how to garden, what grows well in your area, and how much you really do need to feed your family.

Some of you may just be hobby gardeners, and I love that!  I started that way.  It did not take long for me to realize that #1 I could save money all summer, #2 I would eat as fresh as possible, # 3 there is NOTHING on my food that I do not know about.  The third one is ever more important these days.

I also am getting more worried about the GMO's that the farmers are planting.  In this way, I can do my part to grow non GMO foods, and hopefully preserve the seeds for posterity.

So where are you in your garden plans????

I dream....I garden......I wake......snow! arggg

OK.  Tell me folks, are you all dreaming and planning your gardens like I am?  Are you figuring out what seeds need to be started inside and when?  Yeah me to.  I was going to start seeds next week, and start prepping my beds to plant my onions and potatoes.  Maybe beets and some greens.
Then the forecast came.  This weekend, the forecast is for a FOOT OF SNOW.  Now I dont know about you all, but man I am over this snow.
I want to start turning over dirt, smelling worms and warm earth. Turning the compost out to nourish my garden.
Joke.  The ground is frozen solid, we usually have 40 to 50 degree days here now, it is ten degrees today, with winds about 40 miles an hour, and dont forget "snow squalls!" that white out the road and make it so you cannot see!

So how about it, are you dreaming of dirt and seeds and of our coming garden season?

This is exciting!

I am just testing the waters here in blog land.  I have two things I hope to accomplish with this blog.  One, it will serve as an online journal of sorts of my gardening successes and failures. Too many years I have not kept my journal, and think I will remember the things I want to remember, but never ever do.
So that is my first goal, journaling.
My second goal is one I came to because I saw a need.  There are many many gardening web sites, and  blogs out there, but I could not find one that was in my area of the country.  And the one thing I have learned in gardening, what works in one state or even area, may not work for you.

So there you go, my goal is to make this a fun learning place, one that informs you , and maybe one where we can share tips and tricks that have made our gardens successful.

I will start my post tomorrow giving you an overview of my garden area, perhaps posting some pictures from last year as well.
Peace dear reader(s)