My seed catalogs came today!! Squee!

[Theoretica]

Sigh. There's 5ft snow drifts outside but I'm SO EXCITED!!!





Who's with me?!?!

I'm zone 5a. Anyone else share my pain? We've got a while

So who's ready for spring? Are you early starting any seeds? What is your garden like?

[Lisoula]

Me me me!!!! I'm in 5B, and the snow outside may depress me, but browsing through the catalogs will get me through.... I got three catalogs in the mail in the last couple of days, and am so excited!!!!

I have three 4x4 SFG's and a strawberry patch, but am hoping to extend everything a little this year. I had terrible luck last year starting my seeds indoors, so I plan on direct seeding most things this year, along with buying some live plants.

[Theoretica]

I'm so sorry your seed starting didn't go well, I"ve had years like that! What happened?

We're going to really try and extend our growing season this year. Well, that's the plan while it's 40 below outside. Ask me again mid summer LOLOL

[DeerMother]

Soooooo ready for spring! I got Baker Creek a few weeks ago. So far I have picked out 11 varieties of purple tomatoes. But they're so good!

Just got garden's alive today, lucky for me, they have no purple varieties.

I did all my food in containers or my flower garden in the front yard last year. This year I'm doing one or two 4x4 gardens for food, some in the containers, and moving my herbs to the front. I might put some corn in the front yard too. We live in suburbia and no one here gardens - unless you count pansies or mums in a pot as gardening - and I like to think that food in the front yard really blows their mind.

I'm also going to try to be more realistic this year. Things that haven't done well in the past I'm giving up on and will buy at farmer's market. Things that did well I'll plant more of and learn more about preserving.

And I found a local seed swap!

[lmonter]

I'm sorta planning the garden. I'm not going overboard because a) the new babe, and b) I may not be here to reap the rewards of what I plant if we manage to sell the house. But oh baby, am I drooling over some things in seed catalogs that I don't have in my 18gal Rubbermaid tubs yet. Yes, plural.

[*Jessica*]

I can't wait! Last year's garden was miserable. I'm really hoping this year's weather is more conducive to a nice garden.

[crayon]

I am in zone 4b.... I think I may have longer.... Last year I have not motivation to do anything- we will see this year. I get all excited when spring comes but then get to busy with other summer things to get a garden growing.

[Liquesce]

I'm trying to figure out some container gardening options, myself ... this past season was the first ever where I didn't have access to unlimited space, and while I'm sure my landlord would have been fine with my tilling up a patch of the backyard here the slope is really steep, the soil is poor, and I didn't want to hear about it from my downstairs neighbors anyway, so I just skipped a garden altogether. But I so miss it. Even if I just wind up with some potted herbs or something on the porch it's better than nothing.

6b here though, so practically tropical compared to you guys.

[MommyHawk]

you're right!!! we need to start thinking about ordering seeds and planning the garden NOW! Not the first of May, which is way too late (and what I've done for the past three years)...

this will be my 4th year gardening and I am ordering my catalog today!

Thanks for the reminder

[AlwaysByMySide]

I can't believe that winter JUST started. I'm SO ready for spring. We're in 7a. My veggies are mostly in DIY Earthboxes, but I think I'm going to do a three sisters garden in a raised bed this year. I'm also planning on moving my strawberries to hanging planters, and most of my flowers are in containers. I have a stash of hooks to be attached to my house for more hanging planters, and I'm moving my roses out of containers and into the ground this year.

I'm getting my tomatoes and peppers under lights as soon as we make it back home (we were traveling over the holidays.) I put in my Baker Creek order while we've been gone, and also found a source (after a LOT of searching) for Amish Pie Pumpkin seeds. And I have entirely too many 2 liter bottles and juice bottles and newspaper pots ready to be winter sown when we get back. Speaking of which, a friend of mine got her tomato seeds (and some freebies) from wintersown.org already, which means mine are probably waiting for me in my mailbox - yippee!!

[Jenn_M]

I'm zone 5a (or b, depending on what map) and I've been drooling over seed catalogs for a week or so now. I can't wait until things settle down next week. Then I can really start planning.

[mattemma04]

I am happy every day I get a catalog! I have already placed 2 seed orders.Some things I have gotten are:ground cherries,hungarian/turkish peppers,turk eggplant,breadseed poppy,bulgarian tomato,lions tail flower,broomseed corn.

I have some yard photos here:http://picasaweb.google.com/mattemma06

I dug up the grass between my fence and driveway and we made a driveway garden.My dd loved picking the ground cherries and tomatillos for me.I have to update the photos.I did dig a new garden in the back.Mostly just tried to keep the weeds at bay.Next year less grass=more edible plantings!!!

[mattemma04]

I think I am a zone 5 here in NE Ohio.Also, I rarely grow inside.No heat mats or sun so everything usually dies.

[Pepper44]

I'm in zone 6...not sure if it's a or b. But it's 14 degrees right now, and when winter makes me feel depressed I love to think about gardening!

I've been pregnant since August, so my garden is in total disarray right now. I have a triangle shaped section behind my DD's swingset in the back corner of our yard. It's enough space for some squash and zucchini, two rows of corn, a couple strawberry plants, and a row of sugar snap peas along the chainlink fence in the very back. Oh and I can't forget the massive tomato patch in the middle!

I also have two 4x4 foot boxes on the side of my house. Last year I filled one with two kinds of peppers--bell and habanero. The second box fell apart because the wood rotted. I have to get DH to repair it this year.

I had absolutely no luck with the habanero peppers! The seedlings kept dying, and then the few that survived never grew large enough to produce peppers. My DH was disappointed. I don't know what I did wrong. I've also never had luck with broccoli actually making heads of broccoli to eat, it just makes stalks and flowers even though I plant it early so it doesn't get too hot. I've tried broccoli for 3 years now! I think I'll give up this year.

I saved a bunch of seeds this year, so I don't need to order too much. My favorite tomatoes are the Chadwick's Cherry from Seeds of Change. You all *have* to try those! They are like candy! I forgot to save any seeds from them this year, because I scarfed down all the tomatoes.

What places did you all order catalogs from? The only one I've ordered (and I'm still waiting on it!) is the Seeds of Change catalog.

[mattemma04]

I ordered from seeds of change and southern exposure seed exchange.Just got a seed saver exchange catalog today. Last year I got seeds from Sandhill preservation and bountiful gardens.

Also planning to get some trees and shrubs from the local county extension.Things like elderberry,choke cherry,plum,sugar maple,and nut trees.

I don't have luck with peppers or eggplant.If my mom grows those I will trade her some fresh eggs.My tomato,tomatillo,and ground cherries grew well.Beans grew but few ate them.Had some cukes and zukes.Only pumpkins I did not plant grew well!

Also planted some strawberries and hoping for a big crop this year.I have wild strawberries too-small but yummy.

[Pepper44]

We had a big patch of wild strawberries in our front flower bed for the past three years, but every year they tasted so sour! I kept picking them and feeding them to my chickens. No one else would eat them. Finally I tore them out and replaced them with herbs last summer. I don't know why our wild berries tasted so bad. I've had delicious wild strawberries from other patches!

I wonder if my county extension has trees. Hmm. Going to look into that. Last year I planted a semi-dwarf self pollinating pear tree. I don't know how long it will be before it makes fruit. It's a scrawny thing, but about 6 feet tall.

[onthemove]

yay! Just got new skiis this week and we are getting tons of snow and I am dreaming about gardening...in fact I am about to go online and start browsing right now...

[Lisoula]

Originally Posted by mattemma04

I think I am a zone 5 here in NE Ohio.Also, I rarely grow inside.No heat mats or sun so everything usually dies.

NE Ohio here too....we'll have to swap garden stories/tips this spring!

[goldfinches]

I came home from visiting my family for Christmas and had 6 seed catalogs!

I'm moving next month from NW Ohio - zone 5 to Eastern Shore MD - zone 7.
I have never had a garden anywhere warmer than zone 5 - I've only gardened in OH and IL.

I already purchased probably 35 packets of seeds for the upcoming year - prior to our moving plans, I had a 1 acre garden planned for organic farmers market produce. Now, I don't know where I'll be living or what our garden situation will be :-(

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by goldfinches

I'm moving next month from NW Ohio - zone 5 to Eastern Shore MD - zone 7.
I have never had a garden anywhere warmer than zone 5 - I've only gardened in OH and IL.

I already purchased probably 35 packets of seeds for the upcoming year - prior to our moving plans, I had a 1 acre garden planned for organic farmers market produce. Now, I don't know where I'll be living or what our garden situation will be :-(

Oh do I hear you. I'm going from chilly zone 5 to zone 7/8 on the coast depending who you talk to. Add in that at this point we'll probably rent rather than buy, oh, and the newborn. Yeah. It's going to be one helluva year.