Sunday, December 21, 2008

Winter Solstice

Spring is on the way! The Winter solstice took place at 7:04 this morning, here in the Eastern United States, and, with the start of Winter, the days will slowly lengthen again and gardeners all around are eagerly looking forward to the beginning of Spring, three months from now.

In preparation, we peruse seed catalogs, make lists of plants to acquire for the upcoming growing season, and sketch out plots for new planting areas. For me, this means finally getting a part of my front yard dug up for a flower border that will link the lone maple tree with the butterfly bush and hollies in front of the house. I'm planning to turn it into a riot of color, with cosmos, poppy, cornflower, amaranth and other annuals, all the while keeping my fingers crossed!

My favorite seed catalog is the recently-arrived 2009 edition of the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange garden guide, an authority on heirloom plants. I want to grow all of them! But, taking space limitations into consideration, I'll have to make a few strategic choices for my small garden and hope to inspire others, with more planting space, to try out other selections. Take a look, experiment, and let me know later in the year how it all turned out. I'll do the same!