Preparing to prepare the garden

It's the end of March in Wisconsin. That means...well, it can mean anything. For a gardener, it means "Don't Get Too Eager; We Could Still get Snow!" I can get started thinking about it - planning, not planting.

I ordered plants from a local environmental charter school -- peppers, tomatoes, herbs. I'll pick them up on Mothers' Day, and then I'll wait until the danger of frost is gone so I can plant them.

Another unique source of plants is Free Plants by Mail, and it's an organization that finds new homes for overstocks and extras: plants grown for nurseries and greenhouses and then not needed. Heard of animal rescues? This sounds like a plant rescue to me. It sounds rather tempting, too. Proceeds go to the Nature Conservancy.

In the meantime, it's too early to plant outside, but it is late enough to start my seeds indoors. I have some organic heirloom tomatoes to start now. I have a few herbs I can start, too. As we're boiling and dying eggs for Easter, I'll save the egg containers and use them to start my seeds. If I run out of egg cartons, I'll make tiny seed starters from toilet paper rolls. Then comes the challenge; can I keep them alive in my house? My outdoor vegetable garden grows well, but the green thumb doesn't seem to transfer to house plants.

After all that rambling, here's the current goal summary for late March and early April, 3-2-1 style.

3 purchases:
1. topsoil, large quantity for new tomato bed
2. vermiculite, also enough for one layer on new tomato bed
3. shuffle hoe! Inspired by reading the $64 tomato, I decided to invest in this new tool.

2 indoor preparations:
1. Plant seeds for tomatoes and herbs.
2. Keep tomato and herbs alive.

1 Outdoor preparation:
Spread soil layers on new tomato bed!

Spring Fever

It's not really warm enough, but I pulled on a pair of capri pants today instead of my weekend jeans.

It's not really warm enough, but I went outside (in galoshes to protect from the mud) and looked over the new garden plot designated for tomatoes. I determined it needs a layer of mulch and a layer of topsoil.

It's not really warm enough, but I took my Brewers baseball attire out of storage and thought about Major League Baseball.

It's not really warm enough, but I started buying seeds and ordered tomato and pepper plants.

It's not really warm enough, but I brought out the lightweight jackets. I haven't put away the winter coats; it's highly likely that we'll need them again before the garden is planted.

It's not really warm enough yet, but.... fill in the blank and leave a comment!

Habitat and Wildlife Conservation plans in Hawaii.

According to numerous news stories I viewed recently, the Obama administration has declared 48 species (2 honeycreeper birds, a fly and 45 ferns, trees and shrubs) found only on the island of Kauai. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar also has said the government would be declaring over 40 square miles on that island as a critical habitat.

This move is expected to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adopt a new "holistic approach" to protect endangered species by restoring the broad ecosystems they inhabit and restore their health.

Hawaii has more endanged species than any other state.

In order to read a full article by one of the news agencies, please see the following news stories where I found the news information below:

(In this undated photo provided to news agencies by the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, an akikiki or Kauai creeper is seen in

Kauai, Hawaii. The federal government added the akikiki and 47

other plants and animals to the endangered species list

Wendesday, March 10, 2010.)

NOTE: This photo does not belong to GreenSpot-On,

copywrite belongs to the respective owners.

Sources:
Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/10/1523411/48-hawaii-only-species-given-endangered.html
ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=10068677

Personally I love to see habitats that are protected, if only to keep the native plants and animals safe from harm. I would like to ask our readers your thoughts on this subject. Please let us know!

Sincerely,
Khrysania of GreenSpot-On

My backyard may look like this:

But inside, I'm thinking of this:

Seeds! Spring training!

Brewers baseball, beans, and basil.

Dreaming of summer gardens

The ground is covered by a blanket of white - a blanket that was freshened today by a light layer of flurries.

I've been shopping at the place I call the Outdoor Mall - it's not a mall, but it caters to outdoors people like farmers, hunters, and gardeners. I purposefully avoided the garden section: they had the seed display out already! I could hear them calling me....

Daisy, come here! Look at the seeds! Dream of summer! Tomatoes! Squash! Peppers! Beans! Come dream!

I resisted. Dreaming in the presence of seeds would mean buying, and buying too much, I'm sure. I have a plan; I'm working slowly but surely on procuring the right tomato plants for the new plot, the good beans for the old standard place, and the right peas for their new home - the former home of the tomatoes.

I resisted - this time. But next time, I'm not so sure I can stay away. The seeds of summer are calling me!