Garden Dreams

Blustery. That's the best way to describe a day like today. As I look out the window to my backyard there is snow blowing in every direction. Cardinals, woodpeckers, and chickadees are huddled in the tree, staying close to the feeders. I had to bundle up just to get the mail and bring in the garbage cans. Today is NOT a day to be outdoors with a baby.

So, instead, I'm dreaming about spring and summer and my vegetable garden plans. I haven't had a vegetable garden in 2 years, and I'm anxious to get back to it. I want to spend summer days working in the garden while Kaia plays in her playpen next to me. I look forward to the future when she can help me pull weeds, pick off bugs, and harvest treats. I look forward to muddy hands, feet and faces. I especially look forward to the day when Kaia picks her first fresh strawberry, bites into it, and smiles that big, juicy, fresh strawberry smile. There is a lot to be said for a child growing her own treats.

I plan to build raised beds for some 'Square Foot Gardening'. I want to fill them with spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers and strawberries. Hopefully the asparagus and rhubarb I planted 2 years ago will come back stronger this year. I would also like to plant some raspberry bushes to add to the wild blackberries we already find in the woods. I just hope the deer continue to like my neighbor's corn, apples, and birdseed more than my garden.

I can't wait until my first batch of homemade salsa is canned and in the cupboard. I hope I can fill the freezer with veggies and strawberries to get us through next winter. How amazing would it be to not buy any produce that somehow made it all the way here from South America or Mexico!

So, even though today is not a day to be outdoors with a baby, it is a great day to plan for our summer days outside digging in the dirt. I feel warmer already.