This week, I’m continuing with my 2025 garden plans. I have received many seeds from my seed exchange group and some of these seeds should be started indoors in my zone, 7b. This was not something I was expecting and it is a bit of work to set up. I have limited indoor space so I only plan to start the seeds that seem to be really necessary to begin early. These include for me a few types of peppers, Walter tomatoes, and purple tomatillo. I hope to start them around the beginning of February. I also want to try winter sowing outdoors with Utah tall celery and maybe a few flowers if there is space. I will see which method is more effective. Last year, we directly sowed tomatoes and peppers outside. I didn’t get any tomatoes and only a few peppers just before the first freeze. I am hoping to have better luck this year with an early start. I want to make lots of garden fresh salsa and I have been studying canning recipes so I can preserve my future harvests. I suppose I had thought gardening was a seasonal activity, but it seems to be a year round pursuit after all. I have found a few resources about seed starting and cold stratification useful this week, including: https://barbolian.com/cold-stratified-seeds/
How and When to Start Seeds Indoors
How and When to Start Seeds Outdoors
I have been deciding what seeds to plant and where to put each plant this month. I have a lot of space to plant outside but have only set up drip irrigation in a small area so far. When I visit the farm this week, I will work on making trellises for my grapes and blackberries. I am going to make these from fallen branches and leftover wood from the barn. I have also been researching farm grants this week and how to get a farm number in my state. I didn’t have time for much cooking this week. I made an AI generated baked pasta recipe that tasted like lasagna with a different pasta shape. It made quite a lot of pasta and was very filling. I have been doing a lot of anatomy studies this week focusing on the facial features. I feel relieved that my cat survived the big snowstorm and I am looking forward to seeing her again this weekend. Hopefully the weather will behave well for the rest of the winter.
Lisa Ledbetter 