Looking Toward Spring
© Linda Mazar
Minnesota has warmed slightly this past month and the days are getting longer. Granted, we probably have a few more months of winter left in the frozen north, but the hope of springtime is seeping into our consciousness. After staring at gray and white, our eyes look forward to the burst of color that spring presents. Our stir-crazed, cabin-fevered bodies long for the freedom and warmth that spring brings. OK, so we northerners go a bit overboard in our whining for springtime! We need a way to pass the last weeks of winter without loosing our minds!One way to the excitement of spring early is to dig through garden catalogs. There are so many catalogs to choose from. There are those who specialize in trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, wild flowers, water plants, exotic plants, planting supplies, garden tools, just seeds, seedlings, large plants, etc. You name the subject - there is a catalog for it! Day dreaming over the perennials always gives me a boast. And writing out my dream orders can keep me busy for weeks. Then the hard part comes in - paring down the orders to fit the budget.
Paging through the catalogs can be a family event. To keep younger kids busy, give the kids last year's editions. Let them cut out the pictures and create their own paper garden collages with construction paper and a little glue. It is interesting to see what color combinations and flower-types they choose. And it is good experience for them. Older children can be in on the actual choices made for the gardens. It is good for them to learn about the climate zones and how it affects the choices available to your garden. It is also good for them to learn why certain plants are more suitable to specific beds such as that ferns need to be in the shady areas while daylilies are happiest in full sun. This type of experience helps them to understand the planning that takes place behind the scenes in gardening.
Another way to speed up those last winter weeks is to start seeds. Many flowers and veggies can easily be started indoors. Nothing gives winter the boot faster than watching baby green sprouts emerge from flats of seed-starting mix. My father-in-law consistently gets his seeds started sooner than I do. I don't know how he guesses when I am about to plant, but he is always a week earlier. He always gets his tomato seeds started first and then announces that his seedlings are bigger than mine are. Actually I think we both enjoy his little game of being first. It also motivates my son to get started on his seeds as well.
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