Well, everyone else seems to have ordered their seeds and started sorting through old seed packets. Anna at Dig the Outside has some seeds sown already. Sarah at The Garden Deli is in the middle of planning. Marie at My Little Rhode Island Corner has ventured into her plant room to take stock. No wonder I began to feel a little guilty! So I resolved to get organized and take a look at what I already have. 😉
I’ve decided to concentrate on herbs this year, since they do well in containers, and most of those seeds can be found in my local garden centre. I will try and grow some new ones from seed, but I will also buy some small herb plants in the spring; angelica, lemon verbena (lots!), parsley, chives, oregano and lemon thyme, chervil, estragon, and perhaps some lovage. Basil – perhaps some different varieties – is at the top of my list. Roll on pesto season!
Chard “Bright Lights” was a star last year, so that’s already in the seed box, as well as some tomato seed… an experiment for me as I have not grown tomatoes for some years now.
I still have lots of runner bean seeds from last year, but am undecided – the harvest was delicious, but scant. Were they worth all the watering, etc?
I have plenty of flower seeds and some more in the post; Caesalpina pulcherrima (bought after seeing some wonderful posts on this flower by Tj at Tj’s Garden), Nigella sativa, Cornflowers (various mixes), Cleome (hope the slugs avoid them!), Ammobium alatum, a Wunderbaum Impala (Ricinus gibsonii), Cerinthe major purpurascens, and the Linaria “Canon J Went” that Sarah from The Garden Deli sent me last autumn.
And after seeing a Lentil Tree – Colutea arborescens (Bladder Senna) – in a botanical garden last summer, a goal for this summer is to track down a young plant to try in my rockery….
Ahhh. It’s nice to think about warm sunny days while sitting indoors wrapped up in pullovers and sipping hot tea!
Are you getting organized too?
I tried to be organized. Hard to maintain. Thank you for the advice and knowledge.
Thanks for stopping by, John.
Absolutely…taking my time though.
Yes, there’s plenty of time yet – especially if you do get more snow!
Here’s to great container gardening for you.
Thank you!
Thank you for your post. What do you do with estragon?
I have no idea… yet! LOL!
I have not started yet but you’re right it’s time to start thinking. I’ll be interested to see how you get on with the basil. Mine is never very prolific and I have found it does better in a pot but perhaps it is because I use the lemon basil.
Good luck with the Colutea, I have so many little seedlings in the garden, I’d love just to hand one over the garden wall but that is one thing that the Internet can’t do.
My basil loves being in pots on our covered balcony – warm and sunny, and they don’t get rained on, but I’ve never tried to grow any different varieties. A shame about those Colutea seedlings! If they do so well in your garden I’m hopeful they’ll survive here too. Apparently in well-drained soil they are fairly hardy.
It is nice to look forward to the warmer days – especially with a seed catalogue in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other! Thanks for mentioning my blog – not sure I should be held up as an example of getting organised, my style of organisation is quite relaxed and chaotic!
😉 But you started planning way before I did, and spurned me on to take action… I was in danger of hibernating a little too long! 😀
Yellow Pear Tomatoes would be my favourites 🙂 We do expect more frost – no time for gardening.
I shall find a warm (sunny?) windowsill for the tomato seeds mid to late February, and see how it goes! 😀
We are warmer today…the warmth and the sun is a joy!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
That’s lovely – winter sunshine warms like no other!
Oh Cathy, I am a disorganized mess…somehow I must get it together.
Don’t worry, Strawberryindigo. Being disorganized is not bad if you know where everything is – I have such a bad memory I have to write things down!
I’m thinking about getting organised… that’s as far as it’s gone so this weekend I’m going to steal a couple of hours and sort it! My garlic’s planted which is better than last year!
There’s still plenty of time… but this is a good time for plans when it’s still too damp and cold to do much else!
I think a mix of flowers and some edibles is just perfect!
Thanks Anna – growing vegetables in containers in our climate is labour-intensive… i.e. dragging heavy watering cans around every day. So I think herbs are a good alternative! 😉
Sometimes I like the planning and organizing as much as the actual gardening :)!
I know what you mean… I try not to think of the back aches to come from all the weeding I’ll need to do soon!
I placed a small order for a few seeds (mostly different salad leaves) a couple of weeks ago, but I’m trying not to tempt myself with too many new plants. It’s oh-so-difficult, though! I still have a few packages of seed leftover from last year, but they’re all just stuffed randomly in a paper bag in a closet. So much for organization! 😉 I do have a list of what types of seeds I have, however, so I guess that’s a step in the right direction….
Lists are always good! 😉 I went mad at the weekend and bought loads of herb and salad seeds… Now I just need to wait till spring!