Season of seeds

Spring is starting to lift her lovely head out of the snows of winter here in the Adirondacks. Birds are starting to sing their joyous spring song and earth damp from snow melt is appearing even in the forests. A walk outside is to be inundated with the smells that carry the promise of warmer weather to come. The signs of decay and rebirth are everywhere. Piles of wet, rotten leaves sporting various fungi and the tiniest buds appearing on the trees all point to arrival of a new season. This is always a favorite time for me as my imagination starts to run wild with the possibilities of summer. And one of those possibilities is always a garden.
Gardening in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks is no bargain despite big dreams of plenty. Our growing season is short, cold, and often very wet compared to other areas. To add to that our soil is often rocky and not always as nutrient rich as one would hope. Tomatoes struggle even in the best of years and many have resorted to only growing them in the greenhouse. I have not given up on them yet though and still hope to find the perfect variety of tomato for this region. So I have taken out my seed catalog and I have made my list of seeds. It is long. Actually, it is much more ambitious than any other year. And all I can think is how am I going to juggle a garden of this size with horses and the baby. My gardens have often succumbed to neglect just because of the horses, and now I have even more responsibility that does not include weeding!
But the call of the earth is strong. And it is even stronger this year because Eowyn has decided to bless us with all kinds of food intolerance. Wheat is right out and dairy and soy have to be very limited. This leaves me eating vegetables and meat, a whole food diet of the most basic sort. In my heart I feel that instead of buying not so good looking vegetables from the supermarket, I should provide us with lovely organic food grown with my own hands. It will be cheaper in the long run and healthier for me and her and the planet. I am determined to turn the unfortunate fact of her food intolerance into a real blessing that shows up on our table daily. I am going to take this season of seeds and rebirth and extend it year round. Eowyn may be the most minimalist person I know. She wants love, affection, a dry diaper, and food that is worth eating. Simple, nutritious, and delicious. And food like that is best grown from seeds under a watchful eye of a loving mother.