I am so excited about gardening this year.  It is one more excuse to be outside.  Sunlight is good for our health and good for our souls!

In the kitchen, I planted a few seeds about a week ago.  It only took four days for their tiny heads to start peeking above the soil.  Woohoo!  I am thrilled!

I will be attempting an actual garden on the ground this year.  It will be raised beds, but unlike the last couple of years where I used large planters for my gardening efforts.  My mom always had tomatoes, peppers, and okra.  I feel like I need the same three staples in my garden.  I also will add some lettuce and herbs.

The snow a month ago killed many of my plants around the house.  My herbs all died except for the chives and maybe one pot of lavender (it could be iffy).  Everything else, even the hardiest of spearmint, is dead.   Even my romaine succumbed to the freeze. I may have lost some trees and bushes as well.   I am so happy that the maple trees my father-in-law sent to me and that my husband planted all survived, as well as the naked ladies that my father-in-law gave to me.   And my aunt’s daisies survived and are growing.  I think my mom’s spider lilies will be okay though the leaves froze.  I may not get any flowers this year, but we will see.

My garden this year will follow the no-dig method which Charles Dowding developed and promotes.  It makes sense.  I know he recommends not having a structure to the raised beds, but that just seems untidy.  I do have four Lifetime raised beds that I plan to use.  Charles Dowding has books and calendars available on Amazon and really informative videos on his YouTube channel.

I can’t wait to share the progress with you as we go along.  I think so many of us learned the importance of a well-stocked pantry as well as access to fresh food through the pandemic as well as the freezing weather.  I would love to be more self-reliant.  Of course, all of this has just rekindled my desire to have bees and chickens!  If I try both or either of these livestock, I will need you to pray for them!  My father’s ranching genes did not get passed down to me.

What are your gardening plans for the year?  Are you going big?