Late winter is the time of year most gardeners start making plans for the next season of growth, and this year, my plans include giving new life to some old apple crates.
This morning outside my kitchen door, I glimpsed the first small patch of grass I'd seen in months. Some of the snow has recently melted away. Officially, spring isn't scheduled to arrive to my town for another 29 days. Our last frost date won’t arrive for 65 days!
It’s hard not to groan out loud this time of year. Soon it will be time for me to start some seeds in my basement under the lighting contraption my husband has devised for me. Until then, I’ll be spending quite a lot of time standing in the dining room, staring at the blank, snow-covered canvas that is my back yard garden, making plans for the upcoming growing season.
Our back deck is exposed to full, south-facing sun. Although we have a large yard, I like to experiment with growing in containers on the deck. A friend of mine has some wonderful, large, rectangular planters on her rooftop garden, and although I don’t plan to build anything like that, I do have some fantastic old apple crates hanging around the yard that would make terrific planters.
I’m planning on placing them on the deck, on either side of the steps that lead to the deck’s surface, and planting some tall plants in them to add some beauty and privacy to the seating area of the deck. I’m thinking of trying anise-hyssop, since I always have an abundance of self-seeded plants, it grows nice and tall, and I absolutely love the licorice scent and spiky purple blooms. I will also plant some edible nasturtiums in among the anise-hyssop, allowing them to spill over the sides, adding some lovely colour to the sitting area on our deck!
