We have recently received some much longed for snow in east central Illinois.  My 3 kids have been looking forward to sledding and building snowmen.  They love to come in and have hot drinks – cocoa, cider, tea… Each has their own favorite as well as a choice mug or two.  

When Christmas is over and January begins, I get very excited to begin thinking of spring, garden planting, and baby chicks.  Catalogs spread out; some seeds already on hand; legal sized paper; and my gardening books.  The farmhouse table has known this was coming for a long time.  Let me begin by saying that I am no gardening expert.  I am constantly learning new things and enjoy the process.  But, I also like to share things that have worked for me and helped along the way.

There are so many nice books and planners out there.  My mother-in-law gave my the vegetable gardening book specifically for Illinois at one of our wedding showers- it’s very informative.  I also have Melissa K. Norris’ The Family Garden and The Family Garden Planner.  (note: these are only my faves and opinions; I do not get reimbursed for any suggestions.)

We are in Zone 5 and so looking at these plans early can help me to select seeds early and plant seedlings in my stand up greenhouse with grow lights.  I have grown tomato, pepper, brassica, and herb plants from seed in the past.  I haven’t done flowers- those generally do excellently without starting indoors.  When you consider that one tomato start plant can cost anywhere from $3-6 locally for us, price is definitely a factor to consider.  I am also fairly picky when it comes to what I choose to plant.  The seeds I select are all non-GMO and often organic.  This includes avoiding pretreated seeds from some companies.  Those types of plants are usually hard to find already started or the selection is basically nonexistent.  However, I have found some when my seedlings have died or been eaten by rabbits. Shop locally when you can.  Small greenhouses are great places to support.  For seeds, another option may be big box stores that have a selection of organic seeds.  Many places online offer not only organic, but heirloom as well.

My second oldest, G, and I love to sit down and draw up our garden plan each winter.  We take a legal sized piece of white paper, a ruler, and pencil.  It isn’t to scale all the way around, but I try to make 1 inch =1 foot down one side of the sheet.  Our current spot is approximately 30’x32′, give or take a foot or two.  It is always enjoyable to look back at the past years’ plan- not only for reminiscing, but also to see about planting things in different spots within the garden plot.  Depending on how you garden, your plan will look different from almost anyone you meet.  Square foot gardening, raised beds, market gardening… the possibilities available are many.  We have an in-ground garden as well as three raised beds.  Your area may require one specific type.  I won’t go into the reasons for a particular garden type right now, but making a plan  will help whatever way you choose to garden.

This week I got my seeds ordered as well as seed potatoes and onion sets.  Ever since Covid, there are times when certain seeds are back ordered or sold out.  It’s best to get yours as early as possible.  If you plan to begin seedlings indoors, you may decide to get your potting soil the fall before in order to find some.  It is amazing how hard it is to find bags of soil in February.  Here is another place where I choose organic- no chemicals or fertilizers that will harm my family.  

I would love to hear what your garden and plans look like.  Feel free to share in the comments below and let me know your favorite seed choices or books.