Preparing the kitchen gardens for  spring we vow to change our ways and correct past indiscretions. In the vegetable garden the dreaming, er, I mean thinking goes something like this:

This year-

• Crop rotation will be carefully, responsibly, righteously adhered to, as will companion planting.
• Seeds will be started in the greenhouse within the optimal suggested time frames and potted on at the correct time (or at least ‘potted on’).
• An abundance of labels will be available and will be used liberally to ensure that the aforementioned crop rotation plan is followed as well as to monitor the performance of specific varieties.
• Planting plans in hand, soil tests will be performed throughout the garden(s) and notes made on which amendments are required for various crops
• All necessary soil amendments will be on hand and applied to the right place at the right time
• All seedlings will be properly “hardened off” before planting.
• Soil temperature readings will be taken frequently, starting March 17th, and neither seeds nor seedlings will be set out until the optimal soil temps prevail.

Reality:

Thus far we have started a number of seeds. The corn is out of control and I assure you, we will be regretting this impulsive move very shortly. The labeling lecture that I took  pains to prepare for Andrew’s benefit, was not as compelling as I’d hoped and so, once again, the upcoming gardening season will be richly adventurous as we expend our valuable and constantly diminishing grey cells to plant and cultivar identification and doubly exciting in the crop rotation department. Forget all those ideas of dull, by rote gardening.