The gardening season 2023

It’s officially spring, which means it’s time to start sowing and preparing for this year’s gardening season. This year I decided to start a little later than usual, I’ve been too early previous years and because of that the tiny plants have had to wait way too long before being planted outdoors. In other words, the plants have gotten tiny (but tall) and we’ve gotten less produce than expected. And since we’ve had minus degrees the past days I’m extra happy I’ve waited a little longer. It seems like spring is taking its time this year, but I don’t mind. 

We’ve started out in the garden though, removing weed from the kitchen garden and removing dead branches from the trees and from the ground. And everywhere there are signs of spring. The rhubarb has started to grow and the gooseberry bush has gotten tiny leaves already. I love to see how the garden slowly wakes up after the winter. Inside, tiny plants take up every space in our windows and I’m doing my best to remember to water them all. In just a few weeks they’ll move outside and hopefully they’ll give us lots of flowers and vegetables to enjoy during the summer and fall season. 

This year we’re trying a few new things, like corn, sunflowers, snapdragons and a new poppy. We’re also trying again with artichokes (failed last year) and of course we’re growing squash, sugar snaps, herbs, and strawberries like every year. When it comes to flowers I hope to fill every vase of the house with dahlias, sweet peas, aster, and the above mentioned snapdragons and poppies. A few things will fail, some will yield way more than expected. When the season is coming to an end I know our freezer will be full of berries, there will be vegetables stored and our home will have been decorated with flowers. And more than anything, I know we will have learned a lot more about gardening and preserving, and that will be the biggest and best accomplishment of the season. Just like it is every year. 

Happy gardening my friends!

Xx,
Sofia