Winter can be tough; the long gray days can be hard. The warm, sunnier days of Spring and Summer can’t come quick enough.
Here are 3 quick tips to help keep the doldrums of winter at bay:
1. Start looking at those bright, beautiful seed catalogs. Most seed catalogs will be disbursed in December to January. Some of my FAVORITE SEED CATALOGS:
a. Baker Creek
You can order their seed catalog at www.rareseeds.com. They have two different seed catalogs, one for $4.95, filled with beautiful produce and flower pictures and good descriptions of their products. You can also order the comprehensive seed catalog for $14.95, filled with stories and additional products that they carry.
b. Seed Saver’s Exchange
You can order their free seed catalog at www.seedsavers.org. Their catalog is exceptionally beautiful, with plenty of details about all of the seeds that they offer.
What I love most about Seed Saver Exchange is their mission. From their website: Seed Savers Exchange is an organization that stewards America’s culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop legacy for present and future generations. The organization collects, regenerates, and shares heirloom seeds, plants, and stories. Seed Savers Exchange has been saving and sharing seeds with gardeners since 1975. The organization's mission is to conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations. I love the idea of legacy.
c. Jung’s
Jung's offers a unique variety of seeds, plants, and gardening essentials. You can order their catalog for $3 at jungseed.com. They have an exceptionally broad offering, many plants that will survive across many hardiness zones, from Southern to Northern gardens not typically found in other catalogs. Their inventory is impressive, in terms of unique offerings, as well as sheer volume of varieties. **Highly Recommend**
2. Get a notebook and start making a wish list.
a. Your list can be short or lengthy. Every time I run across a new plant that I love, it goes in my notebook.
b. I find it fun to keep my previous notebooks to reflect on how far we’ve come. For instance, one of our FAVORITE tomatoes is the Kellogg Breakfast tomato. It’s moved from our Wish List to our Must Have List. We love everything about this tomato. It’s a vibrant, beautiful yellow and tops out at a POUND or more. What we love most about the Kellogg Breakfast Tomato is how meaty it is. It’s our go to for BLTs because of the large size, one slice will fit perfectly on your sandwich, and they aren’t messy, just enough juice to be delicious.
3. Start researching your top 3 plant choices. Things you want to research when you find a new plant that you find interesting include:
a. What is the recommended growing zone? (You can check what growing zone you live in by entering your zip code here.
b. How much light does the plant require? Do I have enough light where I would like to plant it in my garden or landscape?
c. What growing conditions does it need in terms of water? Does it like to be watered frequently? Does it prefer consistent moisture? Or is it drought tolerant after being established?
If you are new to gardening, Leafy Greens are the easiest plants to grow. Try looking at different varieties of Kale or Lettuce. These plants typically grow quickly and prefer the cooler days. Two of my personal favorites from this category are Red Russian Kale and Merlot Lettuce, a beautiful red, leafy green.
If you have any questions about these 3 tips, reach out to Angie directly at angie@stargardenconsulting.com
Be sure to follow us on IG and see what exciting things we have in store!!
Rooting for Your Garden,
Angie
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