Happy February and Blessed Imbolc! This time of year we prepare to welcome back the warmth and start our journey into growing season.
January was a bit of a rough month on the homestead. My husband and I were recovering from oral surgery (he still has one more round to go later this month), and my MS was exceptionally rough. Though during my recovery, I had lots of time to dream those spring fever dreams of seedlings and garden plans.
We have a lot going on in February. Winter is still trying to keep her firm grasp on everything. But we know it is the time of year when we plan for the world to wake up and grow again. A few of my plant babies have already been started, including my kale and the first round of leeks. This is my first-time growing leeks, so hopefully, they will grow well. Unfortunately, I often don’t have a lot of luck with the allium family, but we shall see.
This week we will start the first round of our seedlings, including tomatoes, peppers, and many others. Over the coming weeks, others will be started, too, like our cucumbers and squashes. But each week will start a few more to help with our succession planting. This year we plan on growing a lot to try to fill our pantry and freezer as much as possible to cut our grocery bill down. So, in addition to producing much of our food, we also will be growing the veggies we put in our dog’s food. See that recipe here!
If you want some inspiration, I will include or list what we are growing below!
February is also the time of year when I start my organization and spring cleaning. My MS makes it hard to do large projects, so I break them up into small bitesize daily tasks until it is all done. Some of my list is things only my son or husband can do, but the rest I tackle.
Most of my spring cleaning is cleaning the backyard from winter and prepping the garden for growing in a few weeks. This includes cleaning the garden beds and adding compost, fresh soil, and mulch. It also means cleaning up the additional fallen leaves and debris for the compost. I also like to take a good inventory of my pots and planters to ensure they didn’t suffer any cracks during the stormy months. Then, in a few weeks, when it warms up a bit more, we will break out the lawn mower and make sure everything is serviced and ready for those first spring cuts.
What we are planning on growing this year:
- Kale
- Leeks
- Butternut Squash
- Eggplant
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Marigolds
- Sage
- Mint
- Jalapeno
- Ground cherries
- Thyme
- Basil
- Calendula
- Carrots
- Lemongrass
- Cucumbers
- Cilantro
- Ajvarski Peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Chives
- Lettuce
- Casper Pumpkins
- Red Sunflowers
- Violet Sparkle Peppers
- Brandywine Tomatoes
- Wonderberries
- Winter Pumpkins
- Lipstick Peppers
- Spoon Tomatoes
- Honeynut Squash
- Nasturtium
- Yellow Monster Pepper
- Golden Peas
- Snow peas
- Dragon tongue beans
- Black beans
- Hatch chili Peppers
- Chocolate Sunflower
- Lemon balm
- Yellow Squash
- Borage
- Spaghetti Squash
- Purple beans
- Green beans
- Loofahs
- Bread and salt tomatoes
- Beef steak tomatoes
- Orange hat tomatoes
- Rosemary
- Red Onions
- Green onions
What is on your list to grow this year? Tell us below in the comments and happy growing!
