it's that time again

It's the time of year, when I sit down with a nice hot coffee or a glass of wine (and one year, super sick, sat drinking hot toddie after hot toddie. There were a lot of surprises that spring!) and pour through the seed catalogs, make notes, dream big, scale it back, and place my orders.

I have wonderful (huge) visions for this little acre of ours. Expanding the vegetables out of our beds, creating pathways and arbors and lovely edible landscaping.

The problem is, I am a lazy gardener. And more than that, I have no idea what I'm doing. Landscaping does not come naturally to me.

I've got this lovely pile of books to help me through, and they help a little, but the truth is I also find it quite overwhelming. Especially since I want to do it all right now and time, energy and most of all budget just don't really allow.

Preparing this land for planting is not an easy task. First I have to plan where to expand, and then convince one or more of the boys to do the digging for me, then listen to the whines of how hard it is. Haha. Really though, we have incredibly rocky soil and while it's actually been fantastic for growing, it's not so fantastic for getting ready to grow.

So, there's the lack of knowledge, the lack of energy and better tools for expansion, and the lack of money.

Yet, every year when I sit down with these catalogs, my list just goes on and on and on. Sigh. Someday.

Usually once I make my big dream list, I'll go back and narrow it down a bit.

I am trying to find a way to fit in a couple of new things. I hate to wait on things that take several years to produce, which is why we planted asparagus and apples our first summer.

This year, the newcomers will hopefully include; cherry trees, pears (this one I'm still iffy on), elderberry bushes, replacing the raspberries we accidentally killed through pretty awful neglect and the lawnmower, grapes (I REALLY want these in this year, but the prep work might be more than we can do) and rhubarb.

While there are so, so many other  permanent or semi permanent trees and bushes and plants I want to add, I think that's a decent task list for this year.

We may rebuild the raised beds in the backyard, I need to reassess the plot we used for corn last year and decide if I'll replant there. I plan on expanding the side and front beds, and planting some veggies and herbs. I want to start the process of permanent pathways between the raised beds.

As for vegetables, I'll probably stay (mostly, ahem) with my tried and true. We're lucky enough to live near a pretty fantastic farmers market, and I work in a community garden to supplement.

But, oh, these seed catalogs. They do make it quite difficult to keep those big dreams contained!

What about you? How do you plan each years gardens?