Reading my blog title, some of you will probably be thinking that I am going to blog about all things related to romance and the upcoming Valentine's day. Mentioning that I am "in the mood" might even have some of you pondering a breathless whisper of those words in the ear of someone special. But most of you who really know me will know that I am most likely talking about.....gardening. Yep I am in the mood to plant stuff.
Even though it's still winter, you would think spring had sprung early here in the cornfields of Nebraska as I carefully lay out all the garden catalogs on the kitchen table, pages ear-marked, items circles, and an ever growing list filling a small note pad.
I blame the weather, I blame the seed companies with their slick glossy magazine covers, and I blame myself for a weakness for playing in the dirt and seeing something pretty in bloom. My biggest arising dilemma is the fact that I want too much. Seeing the pics, reading the descriptions has me itching to plant stuff I have never planted before or even ever considered planting before....
Case in point....Sweet peas.
Growing sweet peas in the midwest is a foolish notion. We can go from spring to summer in just a matter of days. Growing just regular garden peas can be daunting. They whither and dry up quickly in the heat and humidity, and the thoughts of even entertaining the idea of growing sweet peas promises a very, very short bloom period....and that is IF I get them started early indoors. But I still cling to the notion of trying to grow sweet peas this year,.... until the next catalog item catches my interest.
Brugmansia....Ooooh pretty...I want one in every color, I want a whole row, I want trellises of the cascading trumpet blooms. Never tried growing it before, but it's caught my eye and I want it, til I read bugs love it, and my interest wanes a bit til seeing the next glossy pic in the garden catalogs.
It's a sickness... and the seed companies know it, and they keep feeding the addiction with the color enhanced photos of flowers that I want, have to grow that never do quite look as brightly intense in my own garden. But it doesn't stop me, it just seems to drive me more.
This past week, I actually found myself annoyed while out shopping....Where is the garden seed? Why isn't the garden seed on the shelves? Don't they know gardeners have to start seed early in doors with lots of stuff. I was disappointed, I was peeved, no garden seed.
So I came home and looked at the catalogs again. Goodness knows I will have to order seed now, I need seeds to start indoors for stuff, never mind the fact that by the time I place an order and it gets shipped the seeds will most likely be stocked on the local shelves by then. ....I keep repeating that mantra to myself....just wait....it will come...But it's been hard, all this waiting.
I pick up a new catalog and spy more stuff in the meanwhile....Ooooh siberian iris... I have to try siberian iris, and I might as well get it in a couple of colors. Just a couple I tell myself, and then I have to force myself to just walk away from the catalogs. Yesterday didn't help when our temps hit near 60 degrees and I was tearing the garage apart to find the sprayer to spray fruit trees... I never did come across the sprayer but I did find the dormant oil. Wouldn't you know the temps have plummeted again with promises of rain or snow in the forecast this next week.
So I thought to myself, I won't order anything just yet....(well except for two new trees ordered last week)...I will get some feedback from the rest of you....who do you order from? Which catalogs? What are you going to grow if anything? I will admit that I have been lurking around a bit on Dave's garden site, particularly at The Garden Watchdog with it's assessment and imput from others on the different catalog companies.
One thing I do plan on trying this year is heirloom tomatoes, or just some different tomatoes that I usuallly pick up. No more better boys, beef masters, celebrity, romas....I want to try something different. So of course I have been closely peering over the Totally Tomatoes catalog for varieties and it's a bit overwhelming. So far I am leaning towards Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter (Mopsy's fault for blogging on them last year) and maybe an Italian plum tomato.
(Sigh)...it's overwhelming and addicting, and a bit of daydreaming of warm temps, bright flowers, and just having something green growing outside my window.
I spot another item and I tend to go a little glassy-eyed....Ooooh peppers! Not just ordinary green peppers either...I should try new peppers too...... anyone ever grown pimento peppers?...
Yeah, I am definitely in the mood....
