Today I am thankful for flannel-lined jeans, wool socks and lots of layers. I suspect I will be even more glad tomorrow and the next day. I have to go to a meeting at the Diocesan offices in Birmingham on Thursday and with wind-chill thrown in, forecasters are are calling for single-digit temperatures around the time I need to leave from here.  I have had to bring my antique roses that are still in containers in and Dot will sleep in the garage the next three nights.

Preparing for the meeting on Thursday has used a big part of my day. Nonetheless, I was able to work on ‘smartgardener.com’, choosing the plants we will grow this summer and laying out the beds using a gridded scale model of the garden plot we are preparing. After I had completed both steps, I was given the option to allow the program to recommend a plan for the layout of the garden. In part, the program considers crop rotation over a 4 year period, something important for maintaining the health of the soil. I am planting flowers (marigolds, sunflowers, lavender and chamomile), a few herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, cilantro) and about 18 different kinds of fruits and vegetables, from okra to yellow watermelon, to eggplant to pole beans and jalapeños.

Not only have I been given a schematic with detailed instructions about spacing and depth for each type of plant; I will also get a weekly to-do list for the entire growing and harvesting cycle. I will begin to plant seeds in our ‘semi-hothouse’ week after next!

This evening, the sunset was spectacular as I walked

And at journey and day’s end, home was waiting…