26 December 2011

More Farming, More Fun

Christmas for a gardener - for me, anyway - is when thoughts first turn to next year's effort. Assuming that the last vegetables come out of the garden sometime in November, December is usually the first full month of no gardening for me. It's a busy month, so the garden isn't really missed yet; actually, it is nice to have the birdfeeders up in the garden instead, and lots of visitors to watch with very little effort to get them there.
Then, my dad offered to help us dig up the new vegetable plot next spring, as he and my mom gave me a cold frame for Christmas! This means a few things:
1. Gardening season has been extended by 1-2 months on each end of the season. That's 9 months or so of gardening!
2. More gardening time means more planning! I'll be cracking the Johnny's catalog come January.
3. My dad's surprise retirement may mean I'll have a co-farmer this season. Sounds great to me!
4. That milky spore had better be multiplying and killing Japanese beetle larvae. I don't want them eating the swiss chard before we do.

Please excuse the egregious use of exclamation points; I just have visions of corn and kale dancing in my very excited head.