Well, now that the hustle of moving is over, it is time to start digging a little deeper into the 2024 gardening season. 

One of the key components to both vegetable and flower gardening is knowing how to find your “growing zone”. 

A growing zone helps to determine the hardiness needed in the plants you’re growing. The USDA provides a zone map, through their website: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

According to the USDA zoning map, my area of Goshen County was updated from a 4b (-25 to -20 degrees) to a 5a zone (-20 to -15 degrees) in 2023.

Now is a great time to get online and start ordering your seeds! Many different varieties of seeds can be purchased online, but my favorites are the heirloom varieties. I also make an effort to grow one or two plants I have never grown before. Sometimes I just let my kids pick out what looks neat for the year. 

If you’re like me, you have already started on your gardening plans this year. My goal will be combating new soils and hard water.

It’s also the time I cut down and turn in winter cover crops and I start collecting my supplies for seed starters. 

One thing which always seems to be neglected, is garden tool repair and clean up so I have added this small task to help me get a jump start on the busy weeding season. 

February is also the perfect time to sow seeds indoors. 

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, and head lettuce are normally my first few seedlings, but you can start quite a few plants late this month. 

I also use this time to map our new additions to the garden. This year I would like to add more landscaping plants, trees, and shrubs. I am fortunate and I have a lot of wildlife and birds passing through my front yard. But sometimes the critters will stop and have a snack or two. I am considering planting crabapples, choke berries and wild plums to help keep hungry animals from roaming my garden this year. 

Happy planning!