Oh the Weather Outside is Delightful....

In celebrating Christmas this past Sunday with my family, Jack and Charlotte got two very cool sleds from their grandmother (mi madre). They are large enough for two people per sled and seemed to be very streamlined, so much so, Jen was itching for an excuse to go try them. When a 2 and 4 year old ask to go sledding now, how can you say no? Well, I could have but Jen said yes so started the 20 minute process of bundling up like an overstuffed turkey and across the street to the park we went. The little hill right into the park is not steep at all in our terms but huge for the kids....Jen went by herself first and laughed the entire way down......to our surprise, everything was a sheet of ice and these sleds just kept going and going and going.

After about 20 minutes and a few runs each, Jen spied a larger hill and set off on a test of her will :) Not really waiting for the camera or us, she jumped on solo, screamed all the way down and traveled for almost 2 full minutes before the sled came to a stop about 200 yards away. With the sounds of giggling, the kids wanted to try it as well.

With Christmas Eve coming up in 2 days and the festivities of the next two weeks, not much has happened with the garden. Weather is not conducive and time is not available. What I can and have been doing is looking through the new seed catalogs that started arriving. SSE and Baker's Creek are two of my favorite catalogs and I am making seed lists like I am planting 10 acres. Here are some things I do know about my garden planning:

10-15 varieties of Tomatoes:
I am going to have to crowd them into the upper garden area. I know I can get 10 or so in there....15 may pose a challenge....I will have to come up with a different idea than cages to keep them at bay.

Garlic and Potatoes:
The garlic is already in the side bed and will be ready come June. Behind it and to the left of the chaste tree, I will plant 3 or 4 varieties of potatoes.

Squash and Watermelon:
I have Butternut seeds that I will put in the ivy along the driveway, I will also probably put a pumpkin or two in there as well. I will try the watermelon in the back corner of the yard where the grasses are now and possibly up with the garlic and potatoes training it to be a bed border. I am going to try 2 varieties of watermelon I think. The yellow squash will go where the apple tree is right now once the tree is moved.

Peppers:
Jen likes some of the hotter varieties that are ornamental. We will probably plant those in the front bed to accent the house. I would also like to plant poblanos there as well. I will try the bell and sweet chocolate again, just not sure where to put then

Peas and String Beans:
I am going to build two trellis' between us and Barbara where I planted the watermelon last year. A ten foot trellis should be enough for both.

Lettuce, Asparagus, Spinach and Swiss Chard:
All of these are going to go into the smaller side bed. This will all be new to me in terms of growing but should be fun. Asparagus will take 3 years before I harvest so that is nothing more than a lesson in what I don't have; patience.

Beets, Carrots, Radishes and everything else:
I am still trying to figure out the best place for these.....I could use another bed but for now, I think I will find a home in the old watermelon patch. The only problem will be the weeds.


Food Harvested:
None

Things Planted:
None

Seeds Saved:
Chaste Tree
Sweet Shrub

Preserved/Cooked:
Spicy Mac and Cheese

Things to Remember:
1. build arbor with tree limbs
2. Plant peppers in front bed
3. plant potatoes behind garlic
4. Asparagus and lettuce in along Barbara's fence