Thursday, December 24, 2009

Listening to the sleet and ice at the windows, my thoughts are already turning to Spring.

Last gardening season was a dud... and it was mostly my fault. My garden tends to reflect what's going on in my life, and things weren't so great emotionally. When I start neglecting myself because of depression or stress, I also start neglecting my plants.

Life is better now, partly because I realized I couldn't pull myself out of depression alone, and partly because I'm taking initiative to change the parts of my life that make me unhappy. As I brim with anticipation there, I find myself brimming with anticipation over next year's garden.

I will keep things simple this year. Last year's plans were complex and varied, which I believe overwhelmed me, so I will stick to the reliable basics this year. I'll allow myself a small section of the garden for experimental plants, but I will do my best to direct most of my emotional investment elsewhere.

I also think I'll invest in a little extra lighting for my seedlings. Tomatoes do just fine if they're a bit leggy, but broccoli, not so much. I'm fortunate enough to have a sunny southern room, so I think a couple lamps rigged up with grow bulbs will be sufficient.

I'll also make my life easier by setting up the drip irrigation system we purchased last year. How silly is it to let something like that got to waste?!

I'll also invest in some of those watering bulbs for when we take weekend trips. The garden itself does OK if it misses a watering, but the container plants are another story.

Time to sort through my existing seeds and do a couple germination tests.