A time to sow.

I have been spending this morning doing one of the best things ever.  Well, actually I started my morning early by taking Sadie on a frosty walk down to NWC to check on the kiln, and I locked myself out of the studio. Not the best, but at least I didn't lock myself out of there while Sadie was still inside.  That would have been really NOT the best.  But you know what is the best? This:

Planning the summer planting.  Pouring through seed catalogs with a nice latte and a napping little.  Ahhh, what a simple pleasure.  Having a garden has been a part of my life as long as I can remember.  In fact, some of my happiest childhood memories are of our garden and greenhouse and my folks teaching me how to plant and take care of plants.  For me, there are few things as satisfying as planting a seed and watching it turn into what its meant to become--whether it be a beautiful flower to delight the senses, or a delicious vegetable to tantalize the palate.  We could learn a lot from plants--they keep it simple in their unwavering quest to grow up towards the light whilst simultaneously putting a root down.  They don't try to be something they aren't. A carrot is a carrot. A squash is a squash.  Unless you are a GMO, in which case you can be like a dolphin and a kiwi at the same time, but that's just wrong on a number of levels.

And yeah, I like to play in the mud--so me and the gardening, we get along just fine.

Gardening in Nome can be a bit of a challenge, especially where I live (about 20 feet away from the sea) because it is cold, windy and salty.  When I first moved here I thought gardening would be a total bust, but after taking the awesome subarctic gardening class offered at NWC, I discovered that people grow all kinds of stuff here.  In spite of the cold, we have the super long days thing going for us.  I have a cute little greenhouse in the yard that really does pretty well for itself in lettuce, chinese cabbages, kale, zuchini, snap peas and more. Also, much to Loren's chagrin our living room/dining room windows become  a jungle home to all my hothouse stuff--tomatoes, peppers, and all the delicate herbs that don't favor the greenhouse.  This year I have a new neighbor who is into gardening, so we will be collaborating.  I think I am going to make some box gardens in the yard with insulation under the soil and little flip-open tops that give them a greenhouse-like advantage while being cheap and quick to build. If you cant tell already by my geeking out on all this planting stuff...I get pretty excited about vegetables!

Another reason I am stoked about gardening this year is that I want Sadie to grow up in an environment where stewardship of the earth and healthy eating habits are practiced.  We are so lucky that all winter we can get gorgeous, fresh, organic produce from our CSA Full Circle Farms. I have been able to make all of Sadie's baby food home-made, delicious and organic--and lately she has even been helping me unpack the box:

This girl loves her some fresh produce!  And who doesn't appreciate a beautiful, shiny apple?  I guess its that little bit of Eve in all of us.  Anyway, for all my green-thumbed blog-readers out there... happy spring garden planning (or planting if your yard isn't still buried under 4 feet of snow)!