Are we there yet?

Spring is less than a week away, and I better be ready - there's plenty of work to do this year.

I feel like I've been slacking on the planning, but truth is, the reason why I feel restless it's because I showed restrain this year and waited to start my seeds at the proper time. Yes, restrain...pretty uncommon for an impatient, newbie gardener like me.

Two years ago I started some tomato and pepper seeds on my kitchen counter during the month of January...last year I purchased some grow lights and started them in February...nothing wrong with that, except that I'm in Zone 5 and can't set my plants out until May...yep, I had plenty of tall, skinny plants by the time they went out. But both years they did really good and provided plenty of fruit. I guess it was all the loving care and tons of compost that I shower them with. Or maybe it was just their way of showing off how good Mother Nature is to their children...

So I guess I just want to do the right thing this year and treat my veggie seedlings to a healthier life before I set them out on their own. We'll see how I do...

So what's on the list for this year? In a nutshell: heirloom tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, snow peas, beans, squash, zucchini and culinary herbs - basils, parsley, dill, cilantro, sage, rosemary, thyme, mint.

What else? Now, here comes the ambitious part: a medicinal herb garden and a moon garden. Plus composting and extending the gardening area in the backyard.

Oh, oh, says my husband. He's pretty incredulous that I'll get this done. Me on the other hand, I think I can, and I'm pretty sure I will. Nothing like a challenge from hubby to get me going....still remember him doubting me when I mentioned to him that someday I would go to Scotland...not happening, all talk he said...we had been dating for over a year at that time...next thing I knew I was saving money, got a hold of a travel agency in Scotland and next thing I knew, I was driving across this beautiful, old country for almost two weeks, on my own...nothing like a challenge to get me going...

So let the games begin...gardening season is around the corner...time to get down and dirty, breath in all the fresh air...the goals are to kill your television, shut down and lock the laptop, and connect with Mother Earth.