Not long after Christmas... before the decorations are even put away, the seed catalogs start taking up a large portion of our mailbox each day. It's never too early to start to dream about the coming Summer's gardens.
The cold days of January- as the garden boxes lay bare... safely tucked in beneath a blanket of nourishing compost-
are the perfect time for immersing myself in dreams of color.
I sift through the pages of the catalogs... thinking of the spaces that I will have to fill when the weather is warm enough to once again work the soil.
I think about the flowers that I started in the greenhouse last season and decide which of those I'd like to repeat. Zinnias, of course... always zinnias. They are just about the happiest flower I can think of.
The big winner of last summer was the gomphrena (globe amaranth).
Every few days I would pick a handful and bring them into the house. When fresh, gomphrena already have the feel of a dried flower - so, drying them is just a matter of waiting for the moisture to leave the stems. This is one flower that needs not be hung up to dry, but can simply lie in a pile til dry. Each handful that I picked was added to this hanging kitchen scale.
Here it is January, when all lies dormant and colorless... and I have a beautiful pop of summer color to lift my spirits.
Another flower that is perfect for drying is the celosia. I picked a few of this particular variety in the garden of a friend and hung them to dry. They retained their color beautifully as well. Celosia (cockscomb) comes in a variety of colors. The one that I am considering for this summer is the tall Flamingo Celosia.
I haven't finished my final list of flowers and vegetables for next summer's garden, but this task is on my January to-do list. Some of the summers seeds will be planted in the greenhouse by the end of next month. Some will be sown directly into the soil at the end of winter. There's something energizing about watching seeds germinate and grow. It's just the boost one needs at the end of winter!
Our pantry re-do has been put on hold for another month, as our contractor is on a last-minute mission trip to Mexico. When he comes home, he will need to quarantine for about two weeks. So, mid-February will be the time frame for that project.
Comments
And you are the “spot on” manager!
Love the new “frock plans!”
. . . and the roof plans for the sheep . . .
. . . and the little gnome houses . . .
. . . did I mention the seeds . . .
. . . delightful color burst in the scale . . .
Always delight when I visit you, happy Wednesday Beverly!
Lots of projects to keep you busy. Look forward to seeing the gnome houses.
Have a wonderful Wednesday! Things are lookin' up!
My flowers tend to be all perennials..Planting seeds is labor intensive..although I really like the varieties available..Your coneflowers are beautiful..Planting time will be here before we know it..xxoo