Seed Catalogs

I got two new seed catalogs last night in the mail. Actually, they probably came last week, but I am not good at checking my mail - I only get bills or ads. And since I don't want either one, I tend to ignore them. I keep hoping the that bills will just go away, but they don't and somehow I end up paying them all in end!

But, my new catalogs are making me covet. See, I have already started my seeds for my new garden. I haven't gotten the new garden beds made yet, but the seeds have been planted for a few weeks now and getting to the point where they should be transplanted soon - if not in the garden then at least larger containers. But, here is this new, shiny catalog with beautiful looking produce that I don't have...

I don't want to say that seed catalogs are like porn for gardeners, but I can't think of a better analogy. I can't go outside and work in the garden because it is too wet (Thank God for the rain!). It is too cold to plant. And I don't have the time right now. However, I bet if it was nice weather I would be in the garden despite the fact my thesis is due in less than a month!

So what do I do about the seed catalogs? Do I open them up and drool over the pretty pictures and enticing descriptions and possibly be disappointed with what I have already purchased, sown and happily watched grow? Do I put them away for next year? Or maybe I can buy one or two more seed packets and somehow find enough space in the yard for just a couple more plants? What would you do?

My garden

We are getting ready to harvest our first head of broccoli from what's left of our winter garden. Although I originally wanted my chickens to be completely free range, they were very happy about my freshly planted winter garden and quickly decimated the entire thing ignoring the beautiful, fresh weeds sprouting that they were supposed to be eating for me.

They now have a chicken run attached to their coop. I am very excited about their run, but also a little sad. I am excited because there will no longer be poop on my patio, my garden will be safe at least from them and maybe they will lay their eggs where I can find them! However, I really enjoyed sitting in my backyard and watching the chickens run around - it soothed my nerves and just made me happy! I will probably let them out to run around while I am working out there avoiding my thesis...

Back to the garden. Hopefully this weekend I can get the new beds ready for planting. While the rest of the country is under a blanket of snow - I live in California's central valley. It is beautifully sunny (even though we desperately need rain) and should be about 66 degrees today. Eating locally is easy here because we grow most of the food that is shipped to the rest of the country. However, growing conditions can be tricky. The last frost might have been last night or could be sometime in April. However, April could also be 90 degrees already. Our summers are HOT which means that plants shut down growing and producing so we almost have two short seasons instead of one long one.

To combat this issue, I have started some tomato plants from Mexico that are supposed to produce even in the heat of the summer. I have turned my laundry room into a plant nursery with grow lights and have started most of my seeds already. In fact, they popped up so quickly I'm not quite sure they will make it to planting time without some issues.

Not only is my laundry room home to my seedlings, but in a week or two it will also be home to my new baby chicks. I know that Darrin did not expect any of this when we started dating...