I guess I better get working on winter sowing! Unfortunately, when Tony went to set up the new drill, it's jammed and he can't seem to get the piece loosened to put in a drill bit. Looks like he's going to have to return it.
In the meantime, I'm chomping at the bit to get started. He brought home two bags of organic soil last night and I'm just giddy to get my hands dirty. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do in one sitting with my pain issues, but I'm going to try! If I wait until after surgery, I won't have enough time to plant the varieties that require cold stratification (apples, pears, plums, etc). However, six weeks out from February is perfect timing to get my other varieties out in winter sowing containers. Peppers and tomatoes and squash shouldn't be put out too early as a freak thaw in January or February could germinate seeds too soon, and the hard freezes in February and March would kill any germinated seeds.
I have decided to plant more than I originally planned (go figure). I still want to do all the perennials, but I also want a few different varieties that can be grown in buckets in case we have to move them mid-season. I'm thinking maybe a few smaller varieties of pepper and tomato, a bush variety of watermelon, a vine or two of spaghetti squash, and maybe some odds and ends... Since I've been gardening I now look forward to the fresh produce I get from my own yard. It's great to know where your food comess from and know that it's been grown chemical-free. Thinking about it makes me want to slice up a fresh-from-the-garden cucumber into a freshly harvested salad.... Yum! I don't like the idea of going without our garden for a year (when planting perennials, none will bear fruit the first year, some not for many years). So, planting in buckets will solve the problem. I have asked my Mom to see if she can snag some buckets from her work - they usually throw them out and they go through a lot, but that's not her section of the store. Hopefully 50-100 buckets will suffice, though chances are the real number will be closer to 20-30... I can aim big anyway, right?
I guess in a worst-case scenario, if I end up growing more plants than I have buckets for, I will have to put some in the ground in the back in-ground garden, or in the front raised beds, and they may have to be abandoned if we end up moving mid-season. But like Tony told me the other day... he can't pack and move the entire house without help, so we really can't look at moving until I'm back on my feet again. Hopefully this surgery will get me on track for packing and moving! Let's do this! I'm feeling motivated!