Home Fires Burning

I've been neglecting this space for too long. Now there's something of a lull in my work and the green market is winding down for the season. That leaves more time for wintry activities like baking garlic-rosemary potato bread and stoking the home fires, which desperately need some attention. Seed catalogs are already appearing in the mailbox; it seems like they come earlier every year. Mark is already taking furious notes for next year's garden.

Our goals for 2012 are to devote some energy to the aesthetics of our garden, especially as we put in more islands of perennials. Last year saw we firmly established asparagus, rhubarb, and blackberries in the big garden; this year we'll be installing blueberries and stone paths. The soil is already being acidified with pine needles so the blueberries will have an easy transition to their new home. We'll also be planting more vegetables with food preservation in mind, now that we're set up with a pressure canner and dehydrator. What a treat it is to eat jam and salsa and pickled peppers in December made from produce we grew or picked ourselves and were able to save for later.