When you stop and think about it, January is quite the paradox.
We joyfully ring in the New Year and look ahead to a fresh start, but depending upon where you live, one glance out the window may reveal a frigid, barren landscape.
Many gardeners view the month of January as a dreary holding pattern. They long to feel the freshly-turned soil in their hands and stroll in the warmth of the sunshine among the plants and crops they work so hard to produce.
However, the frigid winter weather where I live, 40 miles southwest of Chicago, doesn’t chill the excitement and hope my husband and I feel as we sit down to dream about the promise of the new year’s garden.
My husband and I are avid gardeners, and when the beginning of the year rolls around, we relish that our mailbox will soon be stuffed to the brim with seed catalogs!
We could go online to source our seeds, but there’s something special about holding a catalog in our hands and flipping through the pages, planning possibilities for our garden. Our favorites include Seeds ‘N Such, Jung Seeds & Plants, Totally Tomatoes, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
As we consider the possibilities, we reflect on last year and discuss what worked for us, what didn’t, and what we want to try growing that we’ve never grown before.
Our suburban veggie and fruit farm might be small, but that doesn’t mean we’re afraid to dream big. We utilize the space well for our small plot in a subdivision.
Our pumpkins take up their fair share of space (Our most giant pumpkin was just under 1000 pounds!). Still, we grow beans, spinach, tomatoes, bananas, lemons, limes, kiwi, strawberries, figs, peppers, melons, zucchini, pumpkins, potatoes, goji berries, and more. We are proud of our produce, so if we grow it, we eat it.
Each year we dedicate an area to trying something new. We have been growing our limes, lemons, and banana trees inside the house, but we have decided to plant them in the ground outside this year.
Few people in the Chicago area have banana trees in their yards, but we thought it would be fun to put all three in the landscape next season. Unfortunately, we will have to dig them up towards the end of the growing season and hope and pray they fit inside our house. Thank goodness we have vaulted ceilings!
Whether you browse seed catalogs in print or online, what do you plan to grow this year? Let me know in the comments!
4 thoughts on “New Year, New Gardening Possibilities”
Love it!! I’ve been having germination issues with Bakers Creek the last 2 years, unfortunately. I love High Mowing seeds, Mary’s Heirloom. My next adventure is going to be saving my own seeds. I’m not quite there yet.
Happy Gardening. 🌻🌾
Hi Michele! Thanks for reaching out. Mary’s Heirloom is another excellent choice and we appreciate you sharing. Think of the money you’ll save by collecting your seeds, and let’s not forget about bragging rights! Happy almost spring, and cheers to new adventures as you take your gardening experience to a higher level. Isn’t it exciting?
Sweet!! I harvested seeds last season from lots of flowers and hope to start with those, in addition to a small variety of herbs and vegetables. 💚
Hello friend! It’s great to hear you’re saving seeds. Just think … 🤔 you are participating in an ancient tradition AND saving money. Ahh! Spring! Enjoy!