Seed Viability Testing

So I pulled the seeds (wrapped in a damp paper towel and placed in a ziploc bag) that I had saved from last seasons veggie crop out of the wine cooler, after two weeks, to see how many of the seeds had sprouted. Good news! Every one of my 8 pumpkin seeds sprouted and 6 of my 8 pea seeds sprouted. I am very happy with the results. I cannot wait to save even more seeds from my garden this coming season. I plan on saving seeds from peppers, peas, beans, cucumbers, crookneck squash, waltham butternut squash, zucchini, eggplant, watermelons, muskemelons, and pumpkins. I never realized how easy saving seeds is until I tried it out. If you have never saved seeds to use the following season then give it a try this year. Just follow the simple steps found on my article at: http://getready2garden.com/page6.html.

Can't wait for gardening season!

This is the time of year that I dread in terms of gardening. There is simply not much to do. Soil preparation is not yet started, composting has slowed down, to early to start seeds, simply not much to do but gaze fondly at the garden and "patiently" wait for the weather to warm up. Or is there? How about doing the following:
1. look online, in stores, and in catalogues for seeds that you want this year and start ordering.
2. sharpen and clean off any tools that are dull or worn
3. plot your garden to include any changes in where you are planting things are any new plants your are adding to the mix
4. check the viability of seeds that you saved from last year (I like to do this by selecting 5-8 seeds, wrap them in a very damp paper towel, place them in a ziploc bag, and put the bag in the wine cooler for a week or two)
5. get stakes, twine, and plant markers organized and ready to use
6. set some goals for the garden for the coming season ( I would like to grow --- successfully, etc)
7. make any necessary repairs to greenhouses or garden sheds ( I know my greenhouse needs some TLC)
8. Keep dreaming!