It's now time to start poring over those seed catalogues to prepare your seed order. The early bird gets the worm when it comes to ordering seeds.
Greetings fellow gardeners,
I did my chores in an icy rain this morning as my three little chickens looked at me accusingly. I tried to explain that I don’t control the weather and put a timed light in their enclosure to brighten their day. Hang on until spring little chickens!
There is a great flurry of birds flitting about, not just on the feeders but on the fruit trees and wildflowers with all the seeds and berries that are available. I am always seeing birds in my bittersweet vine. I treasure my birds because they help to pollinate my plants, eat those nasty pests and many, especially the chickadees, keep the mosquitoes in line. I want to be sure they are happy.
Bittersweet vine
I cannot stress enough that you get your seed purchases prepared. I used to be early if my order was in February, but now you will find many of the seeds that you want are unavailable then. Try to have your order ready to go no later than the first week of January. The seed catalogues seem to switch over to the new stock by mid-December; at least that is what I have observed. I waited too long to order a plant that was usually plentiful only to discover that I was out of luck. If you go to the nurseries to buy seeds you may be able to find the ones that you are missing. Rainbow Swiss chard is on my priority list.
Now is the time to review the seeds that you have saved. Do you have extras that you can use to make microgreens? Peas, radishes, sunflowers, chard, kale, and broccoli are a few seeds you can plant to make great microgreens. You can start planting them now. If you have gathered seeds this year or in previous years, do you have the date you gathered them on the package? Seeds do not always remain viable. If you can, have all your seeds in one place and a list of what seeds you have readily available. I must confess that my collection of seeds resembles a poem by Dr Seuss:
There are seeds in the kitchen, and seeds on the shelf
All hidden and waiting like some Christmas elf
In boxes and envelopes, baggies, and tins
All waiting and wondering when planting begins!
One of many piles of seeds
So, I have learned that it is actually more of a timesaver if you package, date and label the seeds as you pick them; write them down in a ledger and put them in the same place. I shall be sure to do this next year.
I am starting to bring wood in to dry by the stove as the too-many cats are feeling chilly. Be aware that the extra heat from the furnace or a woodstove is going to dry out your plants so be sure to keep an eye out for that. At present, Leo has finished off one of the begonias, so I continue to work on compound reinforcement.
Enjoy your week.
Judith. (Email: sghorticultural@gmail.com)
Veggie Bites are available at https://sghorticultural.wixsite.com/website or https://gardeningcalendar.ca/articles/veggie-bites/
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