Harvesting Herbs and Garden Planning

We are finally getting some normal winter temperatures here. Brrrr. I am not used to it! Last night, I harvested a bunch of the rosemary as it doesn't usually survive our coldest weather here. I'll have to cook some Italian dinners this week! It smells so good!

The cold weather is making me want to look at seed catalogs. I just counted 22 catalogs I have recently received and I know I've already recycled another 5! Here are a few of my favorites. I also really like Johnny's and Thompson and Morgan, but couldn't really fit them in the pic.

Every year around this time, I draw out diagrams of the upcoming vegetable garden and plan what seeds I'll need. I decide what flowers I want to add to the gardens and which existing ones need replacing with fresh plants. Soon, I'll start sowing flowers and veggies in the basement where I've set up some lights and a heat mat to fool them into growing early. It really boosts my mood to see little green plants growing inside while it is still cold out. The hardiest seeds will be sown in pots and put out in the cold to come up when they are ready.