End of (another) Year

After all and at last, 2009 and the first decade of this century draws to an end. After two years, the vegeable garden beds are established and have been productive. The past season's weather was much different from 2008 and so were the bright spots in harvest. But with the last two years experiences, an understanding of all that needs to get done is clearer. While not overly abundent, stored vegetables look to the load through most of the Winter.

Plans for the coming season will involve a focus on increasing productivity to a much higher level than in the past. This will be a "test" year to see if it might be possible to produce enough surplus to be of use to others. There are also lots of new projects to help that along.

Cheif among the new projects will be a permanent greenhouse, PVC hoophouse, and a experimental PVC cold frame. Couple with row covers and other "cold weather" techniques, the season could hopefully be extended y a month on each end. In addition, the soft fruit growing areas will be expanded using a few purchased starts as well as transplants.

Catalogs have begun arriving and over the next week or two, it will be time to make wish lists that will soon be purchase lists. This could wait until local sources are available, but with the deariness of Winter and anticipation of the coming Spring, its hard to put it out of mind.