Garden Porn

Each year, November brings me garden catalogs from the small nursery companies that form the foundation of my garden planting.  This year was no exception and, as I have for the past few years, I set aside those catalogs for the quiet days between Christmas and New Year's Day.  Frequently, I pour myself a hot cup of tea and I look over those catalogs, dreaming of seeds for spring planting.  Winter has only just begun and a cold wind is blowing.  But I am planning for spring.

It's my collection of garden porn.

I will spend the next few weeks looking through the catalogs, marking potential favorites, and dreaming of garden abundance.  By the end of January, I will make my final selections.  My parents gave me some zinnia seeds for Christmas (carousel and candy cane...two of my absolute favorites). I've already stored them in my seed basket.  The rest of the seeds and bulbs will arrive in March, usually on a dreadful, cold, wet day.  I will set them aside and wait patiently for the promising signs of early spring: days getting just a tad longer, a breeze that feels a bit less icy, some chirping early morning birds.  By then, my much-reviewed catalogs will be looking a little dog-eared.  I'll tear out the pages with the details I need to know (are those the 8 inch stubby carrots or the longer, thinner ones?), draw up a plan,  fire up the garden tiller, and get ready for the pleasures of watching my plants flourish.