Planning Your Summer Garden In February

Winter brings in grey and low clouds and often some form of precipitation where we live. While our gardens are passively growing in slow motion, under the protection of the Cold Frames, we start to think about new growth in the warmer months. 

The frustration of visiting a food garden in the winter often ends in realizing there is little to be done. Fortunately, that’s when the work and joy of planning and dreaming begins. Each winter around this time, we think about what we will grow this spring and summer. Opening a seed catalog in February is one of the more invigorating things we can do when visiting our outdoor gardens is less than inspirational.

You might not know where to start in plotting your garden this year. You may have questions from deciding what to plant, which things to grow and when, and why buy one type of seed over another.

We suggest you order your very own seed catalog from a reputable company. This simple act will change your gardening practice from here on out. With your own seed catalog in hand, you can leisurely read and make note of the seeds that pique your interest. And it will answer many of your questions before you begin seeding for the year.

Buying The Best Seeds For Your Vegetable Garden

Fedco Seed Company produces our most favorite seed catalog. The credibility and history of this company makes it one of our best resources to order from. This is a company with a conscience and a community we want to support. Additionally, the writer for their annual catalog is passionate about seeds, their origin and their sovereignty. Fedco is very generous with offering numerous nuances about their products and notes to the reader.

Once settled with our highlighter and a cup of tea, we start at the very beginning of the publication. Usually there is a projection for the summer ahead with a few new offerings. What we most enjoy is the reference to the history of gathering and selling seeds and the importance of this age old practice. I have gathered a few of my own seeds from the previous year, and consider the possibility of those seeds successfully recreating the same delicious outcomes.

When reading through a seed catalog, we are struck with how much we learn from even a brief description. Phrases like “organic,” “open source” and “heirlooms” are defined and used as descriptors of the origin and sourcing in the seed. Other descriptors are often found with each type of seed like, “early” and “tasty for fresh eating” or “long storage” or “trellised.” These are words that either reveal the way the growth may occur or the character of the fruit and it’s best use.

We read into the descriptions and consider our own needs and wants for our gardens, highlighting the seeds that look interesting to us as we go. We also take a few chances on some that beguile our imagination and think, ‘for the cost of a few seeds, we could learn something new.’ Not all seeds are for all folks. Some of us master certain things and grow the same fruits and vegetables continually each year as a result. We make a point of trying some new things and see if the temperament of our gardens and care are suited to growing something new in our repertoire.

If one is curious, there is a plethora of seed choices to try. We suggest trying a few new vegetables each year as a matter of keeping curiosity and learning high each season. Not all information will seem pertinent, so glean what is meaningful to you.

Choosing Seeds For Your One Small Garden

Most important to us are the earliest seeds we will put in our gardens: snap peas, potatoes, lettuces, radishes and varieties of spinach. We order twice as much spinach, tatsoi, mache and early lettuce seeds than we may need for spring planting. We’ll store those extra unsown seeds for early fall planting again (cold soil seeds work in both spring and fall). Get them while you can in the spring as they may not be available in the fall.

Each seed has a pedigree and is propagated for sale to others based on characteristics that make it unique and desirable. We’ve have found if one learns to grow it, one learns to eat it, and usually falls in love with it. (So, get your kids involved in this process - they love to watch their seeds grow into real food!)

With spinach, we know we like a thick and meaty leaf with curves and profile, like semi savoyed.  We also know we will push Mother Nature and seed as soon as we can and then keep covered under Cold Frame Curtains. With descriptors like ‘hardy,’ ‘tolerant,’ ‘long standing’ and ‘quick to mature,’ our attention is caught and we want to try the seeds that have these characteristics. With carrots, color, flavor and keeping well in storage are traits that we may base our decision upon. Given the incredible abundance of information contained in the Fedco Seed Catalogue, we have a pretty good start toward success with our gardens simply by purchasing the best and most relevant seeds for our desires.

Early Seeding Begins In February

“When the soil is workable” is one of the first phrases we learned from reading seed catalogs and packets. This means when you can touch the soils, they are soft and receptive, cool with a fluff of humus and a bit of moisture combined. Raised garden beds become workable earlier than the hard ground because the soil warms quicker. This is especially true if your garden is protected by a Cold Frame Curtain. When the soil is workable, you can begin seeding for the year ahead with the seeds you’ve purchased from your favorite catalog.

Growing food for oneself, or even doing anything self-sustaining, is a revolutionary act in this age of convenience and ‘everything always at our fingertips.’ We encourage you to pause and take this time to dream, research and plan for the optimal bounty you can grow this year!