The new year always starts slow in a greenhouse. Winter is howling outside and spring is a long ways off. January is too early for many annual seeds to be sown; timing is everything and we want our plants just right for transplanting. Many of the perennial and other slow growing seeds were started in the fall, giving them plenty of time to fill out their pots before spring planting. Seeds are being planted this time of year, but the spring rush has not started yet.
The New Year is represented by a diapered baby, the greenhouse New Year looks more like a seedling, lots of seedlings, with more to follow. Outside the ground is frozen and the wind cuts to the bone; here in the greenhouse it is easy to daydream of the time when the world will green up and will be warm again. Being stuck inside allows us the time to plan the next spring garden. A little time spent planning will pay huge dividends as a well ordered garden will produce herbs, flowers, and veggies all summer long.
The new year always starts slow in a greenhouse. But as winter wears itself out, and spring approaches, the level of activity steadily increases, until finally the plants must be moved to outside beds to reach their potential. It is hard to describe winter as a gardening season; but it is the planning and “thinking about it” season; pencil gardening, where mistakes are easy to fix. Spend this time well, dream your ideal garden this winter, then you will know what to plant come spring.
