Friday, January 28, 2011

The Self-Sufficient Gardener blog

Don't we gardeners just love to dream about spring? I know I do, especially when there's snow on the ground! We didn't get as much snow as part of Virginia even 15 miles north of us, but we got enough to remind us that it is, really winter!

I found this great website this morning, full of good articles and helpful links. I especially liked the "Planting Calendar/Calculator. This neat little tool gives you all the dates to start indoor and outdoor planting according to your last frost date. Very handy! I am forever forgetting what to plant when - maybe this will help!

There is also a nice set of plans on this site for a fluorescent light rack for starting plants. We set outs on a table, which uses a lot of space. Maybe I have (yet another) project to keep my poor husband occupied over the winter!

Are you wondering how much to plant? If you are trying to grow a garden just for fun, it's not too important a question. But if you are trying to offset food costs or become more self-sufficient, how much to plant becomes a very important question. Lauren Ware, over at smallfarm.about.com has a great atricle to get you started, along with links to planning charts, gardening articles and more.

Have fun planning on this wintry day and stay warm!