Dreaming of Spring.

In the midst of putting out the recycling this afternoon, I looked at the corner of the front yard where I have been attempting to do a bit of gardening and the spot where I was trying to put in a flowerbed last year. I felt kinda bad because of all the weeds poking up out of the snow.

I recognize, however, that now is not the time for ripping weeds out. Now is the time for planning. When the kids go to bed, I think I am going to pull out the graph paper and my colored pencils.

I want to attempt vegetables again and I want lots of flowers. I also want to grow some strawberries. I realize that the lighting conditions of the yard is going to make some elements of this challenging. As much as I would love to be able to grow stuff like tomatoes and peppers, I am going to be severely limited in what space I am going to have available.  A lot of the plants that I really would love to have are full sun and I simply don't have the space for that.

Thinking about that burn pit that I want to turn into a flower bed, I think I'm going to start stockpiling newspapers. Then, when the weather gets nice, cut the dead weeds down and put a solid layer of paper down before I do some manure and then some top soil. While I could theoretically get some manure from my folks (they're raising pigs on the farm) I think I am going to go with buying bagged stuff. Two reasons for that. One, it will be easier to transport. Two, it won't make the car smell awful.

If I had a pickup truck, I wouldn't worry much about it. I'd just throw the manure in the back with a tarp over it. That, however, isn't what I have to work with. I can only do so much with a little hatchback. I have been dealing with the gardening itch by talking to my houseplants. At some point in the near future, I have to repot several plants. That should help soothe that urge.

I am going to do my 'indoor gardening' when the kids are off at school. Last thing I need is little hands getting into stuff and making an utter mess of it all. It's one thing when we're outside and I don't have to worry about getting mud out of the carpet.