At long last we have reached the end of the formidable month of January. Not being a fan of winter, I am only too happy to see it go. I release it joyously, knowing that February, the shortest month, will seem only half as long in comparison. In February, there will be a few slow germinating seeds that I can begin indoors. The problem I am faced with is not having enough space in my tiny house; but I am a gardener and where there is a will, there is a way! I have, after all, used my truck in the past to protect tiny seedlings from the lingering cold of winter. By late February there may even be some brave snowdrops or crocus poking their heads out of the ground. As March nears, hope is rekindled in the gardener’s heart.
Successfully starting plants from seed is exciting. It is bringing forth life and nurturing it, watching it grow and flower, to eventually provide more seed for my efforts. I will be receiving tree seedlings from Arbor Day when the weather is warm enough. They will be too small to put directly into the ground, so I will begin them in pots and set them in a protected area for their first year. Last fall I gathered some pine cones while I was out on my walks and I hope to start more trees from the seeds that I have collected.
Last year a friend gave me a coffee table that she was planning to throw away. It is solid wood and in need of only four sturdy legs to raise it up to potting bench height. I can hardly wait to put it to use. While January had me restrained with a case of the doldrums, February fills me with anticipation. I know that it is at least three more months before I can actually garden outdoors. The ground is frozen as hard as a rock right now, but I cannot wait until I can plunge my hands into some fertile soil again. In the meantime, I can begin planning. I can visualize tall, sturdy trees that a future generation will be able to enjoy – and I can see myself sitting in a sea of endless flowers, sipping lemonade, while I watch the bees and the butterflies dance among them.
