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Little House – no time to waste in spring

January 5th, 2014

“There was no time to lose, no time to waste in rest or play. The life, of the earth comes up with a rush in the springtime. All the wild seeds of weed and thistle, the sprouts of vine and bush and tree, are trying to take the fields. Farmers must fight them with harrow and plow and hoe; they must plant the good seeds quickly.”

Laura Ingals Wilder (Little House Series)

Right now the ground is covered with over a foot of snow, spring seems really far away, but the growing pile of seed catalogs by my chair reminds me that it will be here sooner than I realize.
seed stash
I’m not quite ready to get my seed order organized, but I don’t really have much of a choice. As much as I love gardening, I’m really enjoying a little bit of rest this winter. However, if I linger too long I may not be able to get the seeds that I want.
hardening off seedlings 2
Luckily I still have a little time to rest before things get started in earnest. My onions will be started first in about a month. That gives me four more weeks of rest!

Do you ever have to do things before you want to because of circumstances outside of your control?

8 Comments to “Little House – no time to waste in spring”
  1. Janet on January 5, 2014 at 7:01 am

    It seems like for everything. I hate that.

    Reply to Janet's comment

  2. Sierra N Hampl on January 5, 2014 at 10:18 am

    I love the quote at the top! Isabella and I just finished reading Little House in the Big Woods and we’re almost done listening to Little House on the Prairie. I think this year I’m going to try to organize my garden space a little better and try not to rely on starting seeds inside as much as I did last year since I lost just about everything on the day I left my trays out too long. I almost gave up on gardening, but I love watching things grow and I love the first day the seed sprouts from the earth.

    Reply to Sierra N Hampl's comment

  3. Nebraska Dave on January 5, 2014 at 10:43 am

    Susy, it is time to start thinking about those seed orders. In my case it’s time to start testing the viability of the seeds left from last year to actually see how much I need to order. Then there is the EPA thing that I’ve still not heard from so perhaps I’ll get some what of a garden holiday for this next season. It’s caused me to re think my backyard kitchen garden just in case nothing can be planted in the early garden season next spring. I kind of wish that things would move a little faster but government doesn’t seem to move too fast for any thing.

    I have started some lettuce under the grow lights just for fun. After a week nothing has sprouted but I’m still hopeful. The real seed planting will come February first when the onions and chives will be started. I’ve never tried these two before so that will be a new challenge. Planting seeds out in the spring soil has never worked for me. The new seedlings are so small and frail that the weeds over take them before they can hold their own.

    I’m all for resting another four weeks before gardening season starts under the grow lights. With the unexpected appendicitis operation, my winter projects will be two weeks behind now. Drat always some thing to slow down the things to be done.

    Have a great seed catalog browsing day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  4. Anna on January 5, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    The threat of perhaps not getting the seeds I wanted prompted me to place my entire seed order today…thank you for the prompt! I had already sorted through the box and made a list of what I needed, but somehow I always end up with a half a dozen of new things that seem too amazing to pass up: this year it’s Fish Peppers, French Dandelions, Moon and Stars Watermelon, Sorrel and Marjoram…

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  5. Stone soup on January 5, 2014 at 7:24 pm

    Did you make a 2014 calendar Susy? Obviously I am behind the eight ball, now realizing I need a new calendar and yours are my all time fave!

    Reply to Stone soup's comment

  6. Wendy on January 6, 2014 at 1:50 am

    As much as I love looking at seed catalogs, I’ve been putting it off a bit this year–I just want to snuggle in and enjoy all of the cozy hobbies of winter. Fortunately, I have some motivation in the form of a 5 year old who watches the mail with eagle eyes for new seed catalogs to mark up with varieties he wants–his lofty goals and dreams are insipriing!

    Reply to Wendy's comment

  7. Kristy Gonyer (Nature Nurture Grow) on January 7, 2014 at 2:30 pm

    I am starting to feel that spring rush creeping up on me already. It seemed like the winter break never really came this year, it ended up being more a change from being busy outdoors, to being buys indoors… But oh well, I am really looking forward to getting back into the garden again regardless! Now I just need to get myself organized and to get that seed order in!

    Reply to Kristy Gonyer (Nature Nurture Grow)'s comment

  8. Annie on January 17, 2014 at 9:48 am

    Yes. Constantly. Between the garden and the toddler I hardly do things on my own schedule any more :-)

    Reply to Annie's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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