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| We know how you feel, kid. Image: Istock |
Planning Ahead
I enjoy looking at plant catalogs. It’s an education in itself, and gets my gardening thoughts going in the direction of planning for spring and summer. Looking at plant catalogs is even more fun when you're plotting while perusing. Which brings me to my next winter activity...
Playing with the free or cheap garden planner programs and plant encyclopedias you can find on the web or in disc form to load onto the computer. You can find free programs of the simplest two-dimensional garden plotting type or graduate to the purchase of elaborate three-dimensional landscaping fare.
You might find that these programs make garden planning very easy compared to the pencil, eraser, and graph paper method. Clicking and dragging lets you arrange and rearrange possible garden spaces and the plants that fill them. A handy bank of hardscape materials and items comes along with a plant-finder using various categories to help you get the plants you’re interested in located on your plan.
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A few options to check out...
- Plan Garden: free for a 45-day trial period, then $20 for 1 year or $36 for 3 years.
- Better Homes and Gardens: 100% free. A bit clunky and limited in plant choices, but makes a decent basic tool for arranging your garden.
- Grow Veg: Free for 30 days, then $25 per year after. I like this one the best, with lots of different plant choices and ways to customize. Plus, lots of reminders about growing, crop rotation, frost dates... The only problem is that you need a SPEEDY internet connection or this will run like molassas.
