Seeds, Plants and Thoughts of Spring

January nearly broke me. Lots of bills. Little sun. And weather that fluctuated between skin-shrivelling rain and nostril-frosting cold.

But I think I’m going to make it after all. Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail (Clarskson/Potter, 2010) arrived the other day. I will devour it from cover to cover this week. Trail can turn any patch of soil, inside or out, into a living, breathing garden. The photos of herbs flourishing in a windowsill and heirloom tomatoes tumbling off the vine buoy my flagging spirits. My extended family has  begun planning an expanded communal garden for the spring and I’ve been put in charge of research. Oh, they’ll be so sorry they asked!

Plus, Richters 2010 catalogue landed at my door.  Tangerine Dream Echinacea, Pesto Perpetuo Basil, Crookneck Squash and Lemon Verbena are just a click or two away. I can taste the chocolate mint ice cream already.

Without a tropical vacation on the calendar, I bask in the sun vicariously through books and catalogues like these. Am I alone in this? If not, what are you planning to plant this spring? Any crops you recommend planting or avoiding?