Friday, January 29, 2010

January Dreaming...

 It may seem strange to some that I’m starting a gardening blog in the midst of winter, but it’s really not all that odd. One of my favorite gardening blogs, Betsy’s Herb Garden (a fellow Michigander, I might add!), doesn’t blog much in the winter, but she does put up quotes that give us insight into what’s going on. My two favorite, which happen to explain perfectly why I’m starting a blog in winter, are:

"As I write, snow is falling outside my Maine window, and indoors all around me half a hundred garden catalogs are in bloom." - Katharine S. White

and

"Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January with the dream." - Josephine Nuese

Well, baby, I’m dreaming! Everything is solidly frozen and decidedly dead, but I have by my side a half dozen gardening books, my notebook, a handful of color pencils, and vividly technicolor dreams.

Something I’ve noticed in my green adventures, however, is that there is very little information online about growing stuff in the lovely – albeit chilly – Michigan climate. Sure, zone guides are OK, but sometimes I just wanted a little bit of reassurance from a first-hand planter.

So, the purpose of this blog is two-fold. One, it is to keep better track of what I’ve planted and how it went. Two, it is to share this info with others who might be interested in undertaking just such an adventure themselves.

First post (after this) will be a little bit about me. I have a long history with beings of the chlorophyllic nature, so it’s a quick tale worth telling. Second post will be about the seeds that I’ve ordered and planted already. Then I’ll start in with some plant character bios. My particular area of expertise is herbs, so that’s where I’ll start.

I’ve toyed with the idea of a 365 blog, since that seems to be all the rage, but I honestly don’t know if I have the time. I’ll stick to the goal that I’ve set for my other blog – posting at least twice a week.

Here we go! :D