Rain drops...

Sitting here listening to the icy rain two things pop into my mind, one I am so thankful it isn't snow and two the ground is getting a wonderful soaking that my garden will love!

The mid-west sure took a beating with the drought last year, and I know I have never seen the Mississippi that low.  I also have never seen my yard actually cracked before, it was an odd thing to observe and as a gardener it sure played havoc.  It was so dry that the garden required watering twice a day just to guarantee anything survived.

I am so thankful for the rain.  Hearing it fall is really making me daydream about my garden this summer.  I want to expand it.  I have been looking through the seed catalog and there are a few varieties that I really feel it is time to try.

I already have the strawberry popcorn seeds and I feel they will definitely need a bigger space than I allotted the popcorn last year.  Ava agreed with me, she thought it was pretty cool that Gramma grew her own popcorn.  And she picked a few things out herself, she found several melons that she feels would be tasty and a good addition to the mix.

Early last spring, after planting

I am researching how to build some trellises that will hold the vines and still make harvesting easy.  I am thinking about arbors, can't you just imagine the beauty of cucumber vines over an arbor?  With the ripening fruits just hanging there waiting for harvest? I am also looking for solutions to give my butternut squash the optimal growing situation, my garden is relatively small and these kind of got crazy last year, working their way all the way into the front yard.  I would use my fence, they really wrapped themselves on that last year and produced like mad, but my neighbor has issues with understanding my fence is mine and kept having her lawn crew string trimming them.  I am pretty understanding, but not if you mess with my garden, especially when it is on my property.

I am also looking at planting some flowers for the first time in forever... I am not skilled at growing flowers, I never end up with those lush beds full of vibrant colors.  I am not sure why?  Although I am toying with the idea... I want to give my bees something to love, a reason to hang around and pollinate my beds.  We'll see... that seems a bit of a stretch for me.

I think this weekend will find me starting some of my slower growers, the ones I am hesitant to direct sow.  I have some Amish red cheese peppers that are simply out of this world, and they take forever to germinate, but once they do... wow... I think I will start a few of those this weekend.

Baker Creek Seed Company one of my favorite places to shop!

Spring is dangerously close when the rain starts steadily falling, the beds are getting nourished, the river is filling back up, and my need for soil under my nails is getting very strong!  I cannot wait to clean them out, fill them back up, and plant!

Ava looking through some selections last spring

I love the peace I find in my garden, the joy of growing food to feed our family.  I will steal my Ava for a day or so to help me, she has her own gardening tools and she always helps Gramma plant.  Maybe we will add a new blueberry bush to replace the one that died last year, Ava loves blueberries. And I will definitely plant some french breakfast radishes... Hubby loves those.

Yep, I love listening to a late February rain...