Wishin' and Hopin'......................................
Some women dream of new spring fashions........ pretty colored shoes, bright sweaters and floral capris. I am not one of those women!!!Me .................. I dream of peeping baby chicks, arriving in the mail. I dream of buckets of brightly colored flowers, dancing in our perpetual summer breeze. So it is with absolute delight that I pour over the hatchery and seed catalogs during the dead of winter.
So ........... would the children that come to the garden, like the Blue Silkies or the Red Frizzle Cochins? Do I need more Araucanas for their beautiful green-blue eggs or do I need more Barred Rocks for their docile behavior?
Do I try the Chantilly snapdragons again ......... even though, they were a miserable failure last year??? How many flowers do I plant? (ok -- I have over 6000 annuals already ordered! And yes, there will be more!) Did I have enough tomatoes last year? After all, it is only January ........ and its a long time till August. Do I grow spinach .......... or do I let my friends at Nostalgia Farms do it for me?
These are the decisions that really matter to me. Not the fact that the shoes I wear are handed-up from my daughter five years ago or that my nails are perpetually a mess!
How do I live in a society that values looks and wealth over deeds and action? Hopefully (and yes, I meant hopefully) yesterday's events -- January 20th -- will inspire us to a world of personal responsibility. We will take care of ourselves -- feed those around us -- and toss aside the shallow values we have embraced. When people like Paris Hilton are better known than Norman Borlaug, we are living a sad life indeed.
Fortunately, many of you understand. Others, may not have a clue. Its ok -- there are many of us searching for the answer. Do I order Buff Orpingtons or Speckled Sussex?
Comments
I am worried about you, were you serious about the "Did I have enough tomatoes last year" question, cause..............
1. I'd go with the splash cochins - they are so cute - like bowling balls on legs. I am planning an order from Sandhill Preservation.
2. Araucanas - blue green eggs are the best. :-)
3. Yes to the snapdragons - always give something a second chance.
4. How many flowers do you plant? As many as you can fit in your garden space!
5. There can never be enough tomatoes. I make a lot of roasted tomato paste and freeze it. I take some to the office. Extras can go to the food bank. I had 72 plants 2 years ago, for the 2 of us. Hee hee!
6. Grow spinach if you can fit it in, but not too much, so you can support the local farm economy.
7. I prefer the speckled sussex, but the buff orps are beautiful too. Perhaps some of each...
8. You didn't ask, but I highly recommend chantecler chickens too. From Sandhill Preservation.
9. What fruit trees are you ordering? I can't make up my mind on that...
Sheepie -- I am still worried about the tomato crop. Lots of salsa --but I'm almost done with shelf #3 of tomatoes. Shelf #1 & #2 are still full.
Jill -- I got my plugs ordered -- it the seed order. Do you grow cuts for your CSA?
Michelle -- Welcome to the world of chicken hoarding. You, too, can be a member. Yes -- Honey remembers, "I only want a few hens for fresh eggs". That was 50 hens ago.
You've all got me thinking about gardens now. Ours last year was only a marginal success (in that at least I GREW something, but it was woefully unkept within a few weeks)
Also, I thought of you the last few days with this peanut paste hoopla. I thought if miss effie ruled the world, we'd have locally produced peanut butter, and I wouldn't be logging onto jif.com to see if I can make my 4 year old a sandwich. :p
...and yes, I briefly considered making my own peanut butter. Its still on the list. As soon as I tackle yogurt, deodorant, shampoo, and a consistent wheat bread recipe. Somehow I haven't got there yet ;)
You have got to try Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day! The wheat bread is awesome!
And give yourself a break -- gardening last year was the worst!! I lost far more than grew! Plant another again!