Another year, another chance!

Our woodstove is on full almost all day every day now. We are in a strange winter of sorts where mother nature has yet to make her mind up on what season she wants to thrown down. So, each week the forecast is written down for my husband and I to go over and decide what it is we will be doing. This week looks to be awful cold, so that gives us a chance to get our interior chores done, planning and paperwork that have been pushed to the back burner during our "warmer" days.

Now is the best time to sit, stay warm, and imagine! If your like me, and cannot sit, here are some suggestions:

On Cold/Cooler days (0-32 degrees):

* If you haven't yet- schedule your mower servicing, before the forecast or even the groundhog makes its predictions for the spring, and everyone else has you on a waiting list down at your local co-op.
 * Bring your hand tools in and give them a good once over, some can go straight into your dishwasher! Sharpen the blades, oil them and take inventory to see what you'll need to replace before the sales start at the local stores.
* By now, too- your seed catalogs are probably filling your nightstand, put your orders in early, especially those that offer shipping by plant dates, ESPECIALLY your cold weather lovers- lettuce, onions, garlic, chard and peas.
* Take stock of your pantry- what is going out of date that a local food bank could really use now that the christmas season is over? What did you can last year that was not used, that your out of and need more this year?
* Certain ingredients hold better then others, and are necessary when you go to can again- Pectin, Sugar, Tomato Paste in cans, wax, Vinegar, etc. Start picking up those items on your weekly grocery trip and you won't be searching for them on bare shelves when canning season starts up again!

* Plant your Lavender! That's right! Lavender requires a cold dormant start to really take root, so now is a great time to plant those seeds. If you forget, that's OK
! you can mimic the freezing start by placing them, already planted in trays, in your fridge for a week. Propagating this perennial is also possible if you don't want to start by seed.



 On warmer days (32-55 degrees):

* Clean out your greenhouse! Cooler weather may not seem like the best time, but if its at least 45 degrees, it is the best time! Mold and Mildew cannot stand such cooler temps, and your plants can take the gradual coolness of fresh air for the couple hours to really  spray it out. Try not to use bleach, though. Apple Cider Vinegar will kill it, and won't drip back down on your plants once you move them back in and hurt them during the cooler night.

* Clean out pots, start filling the ones you plan to use again this year with dirt and amend it as necessary. When time to plant comes, you'll be ahead of the game! Put crushed eggshells in near the bottom for extra calcium, a small handful of epsom salts, or even used coffee grinds! When used under the soil and before planting, they will not burn your plants.

*Check your greenhouse for your shopping lists. Do you need more dirt? Epsom salts? pots? watering cans? hoses?

I hope this blog helps! Let me know if you have any other suggestions or ideas that you use in your winter blah days!

Now for the sunshine!

If you havent had a chance to read the last post, "the dark side"; I highly suggest you do so. It may not be all sunshine and roses, but truthful facts that may have you or someone you know might not. This is what we can control: The things we ALLOW to continue. Even in an apartment, anyone can plant seeds, or at least contribute to their neighbor that does.

This has been a debate since the beginning- What is the best part about gardening? What is your favorite part?

The dirtiness of it? Science has proven that touching soil releases endorphines (the 'happy' hormone). Being outside and allowing your body to touch earth in any way not only makes you feel good, it stimulates your immune system, lowers blood pressure and soaks in vitamin d from the sun. Theories suggest that infants that are allowed in grass and dirt have less allergies as well (i have read this, but cannot confirm truth). Here is something to consider too- You are washable. Your clothes are washable. Use either or both to get down and dirty for your health. :P

Watching something grow- It is a fantastic feeling to know that the little seed you planted and watered is starting to pop through the darkness of its' dirt. Before you know, it is big and starting to do whatever it is supposed to do- from flowering to producing something tasty.

Eating something you planted, harvested and prepared. There is nothing better then watching and planning for something that takes a month to a year or more to get something back from. As you see it is about ready for harvest, you start planning all the recipes you will make from it's goodness. It seems to taste better, it looks different then the stores, and something about that is awesome.

Whatever your reason, you have control. You choose where to plant what seed and when. You decide between hundreds of varieties of, lets say, tomatoes. Pot or bed or yard? Will it be ripe and ready when that BBQ is this summer? Do you get your seeds from the store? a friend/neighbor/farmer? catalog? online? seed exchange? Whichever you choose, thats the hardest.

Why is choosing the hardest? well, maybe not THE hardest. I personally think waiting to harvest is the hardest because it so long. So, you got your seeds by any method. Now time to wait till mother nature is cooperating before you can do anything, right? WRONG.

It's time to make seed tape!

You'll need:

1 roll of 2 ply toilet paper or strips of newspaper about 3" wide
flour- about a cup
water
seeds

I prefer toilet paper but my husband has used newspaper.

Start by mixing your flour in a bowl with a little bit of water at a time until you get a thick consistency. Try to make sure there are no lumps. Your going to need to create thin lines with it, so find a dropper, a q tip, or even a straw.
Take your toilet paper and rip a section of squares off. I try to make 1' rips. Separate the layers and set one layer aside.
Next, create those thin lines with your flour "glue". You have about 5 minutes from now to set the seeds, so re-read your packet to determine spacing. Using your ruler, drop the seeds at the right spots.
Take that layer you set aside and place on top when you drop all your seeds. Gently press to re-connect the layers and turn upside down to dry thouroughly (overnight works best- but don't overlap other strips)
***If using newspaper, only one line of seeds per strip and let sit overnight to completely harden before moving.

When all seed strips are dried, roll up or fold and place in ziploc baggy. You don't want any water or moisture touching them until they are in dirt.

When it's time to plant, simply place in dirt the depth that the packet recommends. I usually put the empty seed packet in the baggy so that I not only have identification but the packet right there when I'm ready.

This is a great rainy day/cold day/lazy day project that I love to do over the winter. I grab my daughters' lap desk, turn on my favorite tv show and relax. Before last spring I had well over 1000 plants ready on their seed tape before spring came. Planting day was sooo easy.

I hope I inspired you. Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear what your seed tapes are made of!