Armchair Gardening - The Salad Bowl Greenhouses

With spring in sight, or at least in yearning, this is the time to start thinking about your yard - your outdoor rooms. We can't do much in our yards yet, but we can plan, plan, plan.

First question on your gardening 2011 list should be: what will this spring, summer, fall and winter be for us?

• hosting any special events?
• moving?
• welcoming a new baby or grandparent or exchange student?
• want to start the "gardening bug" in the hearts of little ones?
• will you be away? Holiday? Cottage?
• have trees and shrubs grown or been removed from your or your neighbour's yard?
• are you wishing to create more gardening space?
• is someone in your family ill?

Contemplate these questions and others you might think of.

Keeping a gardening journal with your thoughts on the above questions is an easy way to prevent becoming overwhelmed at planting time. My journal is a spiral notebook that goes with me everywhere. Yours should be whatever you need it to be - even just a calendar with square boxes works well.

We open in 66 days! Next blog we'll talk about how hosting a special event at your home affects how you garden this year.