It's been a long time. And a difficult year. I'm sorry to miss a lovely summer and harvest season but I was having difficulty recovering from the birth of my youngest, Judah Daniel. If you want to read more about it look here.
February
in the Pacific Northwest is typically cold, dreary, with lots of
precipitation, sometimes in the form of snow. So what could possibly
be a garden chore for this month? In my experience, proper planning
for your garden takes just as much time as doing the initial
planting. And with proper planning your garden will be more efficient
and satisfying.
Step
one for planning crops is knowing your garden space. What is your
zone? What is your microclimate? Do you have clay, boggy, flood plain
soil? Where is your best sun exposure? What about slopes, drainage,
existing trees, bushes, or man-made structures that effect wind, heat
uptake, and water drainage?
(pic: freshly harvested crabapples,)
Tip:
You can even create sub-microclimates with the crops within your
garden by planting for density and height in a wide horseshoe shape.
The area within the horseshoe will be a significantly warmer climate
than within rows. Some of my favorite garden planning resources are
"Gaia's Garden," "Week-By-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook," and "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible." For
more of a landscaping emphasis check out "The Garden Planner."
Of
course, the majority of winterizing your beds and garden space should
already be done but maintenance is important. Some areas of my garden
need deeper mulch so I need to finish that before the end of the
month so the mulch has time to donate extra nutrients before the
sprouts really need them.
Once
you have a basic garden plan it is a good idea to start comparing
seeds and deciding which varieties you want to grow. There are a few
local options for free seed trading such as the Olympia Seed
Exchange, Harvest Pierce County (extension of Pierce Conservation
District), and the King County Seed Lending Library besides swapping or
sharing with your neighbor or at an organized seed-swap. These stock
varieties that have been locally grown and donated by other growers,
not regulated companies who make a living selling seed, so be aware
they may have been improperly crossed or harvested poorly. The next seed swap is this weekend, hosted by Sustainable West Seattle. Check it out!
There
has been some legislation discussed in other states that would force
most seed libraries to close in attempts to protect the integrity of
seeds. This is not expected to be an issue in Washington State in the
near future but if you want more information there is a good article here.
A
few seed companies operate within the PNW and specialize in varieties
that thrive in our cool, maritime climate. My favorites are:
Happy
Planning!
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