Winter in the Garden

I've been loving this long cold snowy winter.  It's allowed me the leisure to not think about this years' garden. I'm usually excited about the start of spring, getting the garden ready, planning annual flower plantings - but this year, it's different.  While yes, I am looking forward to seeing my flowers come up and the trees to bud, longer days and warmer weather, I am not looking forward to all the labor that goes into making a garden pretty - weeding and mulching.  No fun.

I'm enjoying this rest from garden work.  I love the stillness and calm of winter.  I think the point of winter is to slow down, sleep more and reflect.  Snow days are the best!

While Tim spent a great deal of time shoveling the neighborhood this winter, I spent time watching the birds at the feeder.  I've identified 12 different types of birds that visit our feeders (thanks to my iBird app, Luv it!).  Black-capped chickadee, black-crested titmouse, carolina wren, cardinal, mockingbird, purple finch, red-bellied woodpecker, dark-eyed junco, song sparrow, house sparrow, downy woodpecker and morning doves.

Top Left: Mockingbird. Top Right: Northern Cardinal.
Bottom Left: Female Downy Woodpecker. Bottom Right: my favorite, the Chickadee.

Winter has been great.  I've been enjoying my weekends just putzing around around the house, cooking stews and bird-watching, but it's now time to spring forward.  With Tim's encouragement, I started on some vegetable seedlings.  They're two weeks old now.  We also bought some fruit plants.  The seedlings below - that's just one tray.  I have another tray that I'll start next week.  In total, I probably have about 15 different things that I'll be growing this year.  I will not bore you with the entire list.

Very ambitious indeed but we now have more room in the back yard and more sun since we sadly had to get rid of one of our maple trees.  It was in bad shape and the limbs were starting to fall and lean on the power lines. It was time for that tree to go.  No worries, I will certainly plant more.

Here's our backyard (top).  Tim has started the foundation where his new shed will go.  I'll probably add several new raised beds around that area.  I'll also interplant some veggies in the front yard (bottom pic).  

This will be the year for edible landscaping!  These veggies and herbs look gorgeous surrounded by flowers. Just think how lovely spearmint looks planted with roses and lavender. Below is a great picture of edible landscaping.

http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/MEN-ON10-edible-landscape-2.jpg

On my list of books to read:

                             
                             

I hope everyone gets to plant & grow something yummy and beautiful this year!  But before you do that, breath, relax and enjoy what's left of winter.