Thursday, November 20, 2008

Garden Planning



With the arrival of cold weather and my favorite garden catalogs, both of which seem a bit early this year, it is time to start planning next years garden. This is a chore I love and hate with equal passion. I love reading the catalogs, looking at the gorgeous photos of the newest thing for the garden. I love the mental process of visualizing the garden in it's various stages, and how all the new additions will fit and add their bit to the riot of life that is a garden at it's finest. I hate the paring back required by the realities of space, time, climate, and budget. And I really hate the detail of maps and spreadsheets outlining rotations, successions, projected harvest dates, quantities, planting schedules, etc. Without the detail the garden falls far short of it's potential, and we have a lean year at the table and the market. So, I'll grit my teeth and do it, and follow the plan through the year with the ferocity of a terrier, but I won't ever say I enjoy that part of planning. But, I'm at the beginning, the time of vision and dreams. I'll save the grimness of reality for another day and lose myself in the beautiful photos and the visions of what might be...

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I share your thoughts and feelings of garden planning for next year. :) I'm trying to be realistic in what I can "actually" do for this next year and take it one step at a time.
In light of the economy though, I think this year's garden planning is going to have to be a bit more purposeful on our needs. It at least gives me a sense of some control over the dismal outlook of the coming year.
Now every time I hear another bit of bad news, I will spread out my garden catalogs, spreadsheets and a calculator and get to work. :) I seem to work better under pressure anyhow, lol.

Barbee' said...

Lovely post! Love the pony's name. Maybe Brigid's baby could be Betty as Shibaguyz mentioned. Congrats on the award, well deserved.

queenbeehoney said...

Ah yes, those lovely lovely seed catalogs....they remind me of the crushes I used to have on movie stars when I was a teenager. So near, right up on the screen in front of you, yet....so far.

Enjoy the reverie while it lasts.

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