The arrival of the seed and plant catalogs is like a glimpse of spring in the midst of winter. While it’s easy enough to go online and find all the latest and greatest varieties, there’s nothing more warming on a cold, wintry day than grabbing a hot cup of coffee, paper and pen and poring through the various catalogs to plan what you’ll grow in the spring.
As the last of the plants and bulbs get tucked into the ground, I’m already plotting and planning my spring gardens – what will get moved, where the bare spots are, which areas need a different color and who might be willing take some of my divisions. Luckily, we are a family of gardeners so my overgrown plants usually can find a new home. Some are strictly vegetable growers, but occasionally they can be convinced to try a flowering plant or bulb in their yard (especially once they see it in bloom).
My oldest sister Kathy and I spend the growing season texting photos of our plants to each other like they are our children. We’re proud of how they’re blooming, how big the plant has grown and how they look in the garden. Visits to one another typically are planned around prime dividing time so we can share our treasures with each other.
In the winter we pore over the catalogs, comparing notes on new varieties and deciding what we’re ordering and from which company. As I’m busy scribbling down names and taking notes on size, shape, color and price, my husband Dan will try to bring me back to reality by explaining there’s only so much room in the garden. My answer to that is always the same: “We can just make it bigger. You’ll have less lawn to mow!”
Enjoy your garden planning this winter and remember, you can always expand it if needed.
by Joan Kark-Wren
