A Promise of Spring

It is ten degrees outside and snowing a bit.  Inside, the fire is happily popping away but still, parts of the floor are cold as ice.  The rabbits and chickens are grimly surveying the frozen tundra and iced-over water dishes, and muttering vague demands of more warmth and more green eats.  The dogs are happy to curl up on sofas and chairs and snore away the grey afternoon.

And what am I doing?  Oh, a little light reading and plenty of dreaming of spring days and emerging sprouts.  One of the highlights of the holiday season is receiving more seed catalogs that one gardener could ever plant.  It is so lovely to page through the glossy pages, reading about all sorts of fascinating varieties that exist, with wonderful names like "Brandywine" and "Rossi di Toscana".  I have plans to sort through my seed stash, which helps to narrow down my options a bit.

I always get seduced by something wonderful, but I do try to stick to the important items.  When you grow as much of your own food as possible, it becomes vital to focus on produce that will store a long time, be highly versatile in meal incarnations, perhaps double as gifts & animal feed, and consistently perform well in my humble little garden.  No small order, eh?  So mostly I choose a good selection of greens, kale, beets, turnips, potatoes, onions, beans, carrots and tomatoes.  Squash makes the cut as well, as do some small fruits and herbs.  After that, perhaps something exotic will be chosen:  loofahs?  Popcorn?  Sweet corn?  Oh, the glorious options!