SPRING

Spring is here. Know how I know? I'm awake & functioning.

I found garlic & chives growing in the garden. The daffodils & crocus are coming up. My yard is half thawed... I can actually go outside to putter. I've stopped wearing long underwear all the time. The ice cream stand opens on Saturday.

Before I forget, I wanted to tell you about a website that helps you opt out of catalogs. It seems pretty neat. I'm sick of all the catalogs we get, and I feel like they are taking over the house because I feel guilty recycling them. They pile up, and pile up. I never buy anything from them. So I've opted out. Less waste. Less guilt.

Back to spring: I'm redesigning the garden this year. More raised beds, and I'm doing away with the current garden configuration of rows. I will now have a keyhole like path to access the garden, which is far more efficient use of space. I'll post pictures when I'm done. Gotta get stuff to grow first, otherwise it'll require way too much imagination on your part.

We're also doing more raised beds this year. I've bought more seeds than I curently have space for. I'd love to simply plow up portions of the lawn, but then I'd have to keep the dogs out. So raised beds it is. Easier to cover, easier to fence off, easier on the back. I've become curious about SPIN farming this year, even though I'm definately not in an urban environment. I'm on a "small" rural plot (one-acre being relatively small where I am). SPIN = Small Plot INtensive farming. I'm not sure I really buy into the whole 'for-profit' thing, but I am interested in maximizing the productivity of my garden. The problem I have with SPIN farming is that it sounds, at least at first glance, somewhat like a pyramid scheme. You "have" to buy the SPIN guides, and they aren't cheap (and they are selling the PDFs - not even actual paper).

So me, being the cheap bastard that I am, I'm just going to wing it and see what happens. I have the whole internet at my fingertips!