Spring Planning

Seed catalogs are piling up on my desk, waiting to be circled and tagged. The greenhouse is covered in a layer of snow this morning, waiting for a few hours of sunlight. And I'm buried in scarves for Special Olympians, the big spring school fundraiser, another day off school for the kids, and any number of other things that distract me from spring planning.

Next weekend. That's when it will start to happen. March 6 is tax-free day in Vermont, so I'm planning to order apple trees from a local nursery during their pre-season sale. I'm also determined to see if I can grow those apples without pesticides. A tall order, from what I understand about apple growing.

While I'm at the nursery, I will pick up a bag of growing medium in which to start my seeds. Last year, I had good luck sprouting tomatoes, but no luck with flowers or peppers. This year, I'm going to add a new step to the process: soaking the seeds. In a "Starting From Seed" special edition magazine by the publisher of Fine Gardening, an article claims that a "good overnight soaking is all many seeds need to begin growing." I've never done this, but it makes complete sense; gives the seeds a little embryonic push. No longer than 24 hours, though, or the seeds may rot, advises the author.

So from a snowy place, where 30-degree days and the trusty calendar are promising the spring that will come, I diligently begin another Zone 4 season...