At least here in Ohio, most people aren’t thinking too much about gardening yet but it’s not too early to get a start. All regions are different but since I am in zone 6a I will base this post on that area. First things first. If you haven’t planned your garden yet then you will want to do so now. Decide what vegetables and/or herbs you will want to grow and then make a calendar/schedule so you know when everything needs to be planted. You wouldn’t want to be caught by surprise and miss your chance to grow some of your favorite veggies or herbs. Johnny Seeds has an example of a planting calendar here: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/information/successionplantingspreadsheet.xls There is info filled in but it can be edited to match up with your own garden and timeline and there are instructions at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
Here in my zone there are several things that can be started indoors already. Some of the plants that I will be starting soon are tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions and kale. I may start a few others, but being the “lazy homemaker” that I am, I haven’t planned my own garden yet. Don’t let the picture fool you. It’s from last year. 🙂 I’m really good at not taking my own advice. I blame the years that I spent working in the healthcare industry. We always used to joke that healthcare workers make the worst patients. I think that phrase rings true in other areas as well.
Starting seeds indoors is also a great way to get children involved in planting. And I know from experience that having little ones involved in growing their vegetables is a great way to get them excited about eating them.
Once you have your garden planned it’s time to get seeds. Please be sure to find suppliers that don’t coat their seeds with neonicotinoid(an insecticide that does way more harm than good and are very bad for our already dwindling honey bee population). And of course, heirloom seeds are your best bet. I would avoid seeds from Bayer Corporation for sure and some of the other big named brands as well. You can find untreated vegetable seeds from a company called Fed-Co and you can find a great selection of herb seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs. There are other companies as well of course. I will try to find a better list and post here later on.
Be sure your seeds are in a warm enough spot and get plenty of sunlight. Don’t forget to water them regularly. Near the end of April start watching the frost forecast so you are ready to transplant into your outdoor garden as soon as possible after the last frost.
What fruits, vegetables, and/or herbs are you planning on growing this year?
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