Well I have a start! So many plants to choose from and so much space to fill! After reading the growing guides-more time is needed for some of the plants-I better get sowing some of these indoors or order some seedlings.

I am really a fan of  Seed Savers Exchange. Their mission is to conserve and promote America's culturally diverse but endangered food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants. I took a seed saving class they facilitated at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum it was very interesting. Thumbing through the Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook is overwhelming. There are so many choices.  Gardeners become members, save heirloom seeds, and provide seeds to Seed Savers Exchange. I will talk about heirloom seeds and the loss of diversity later....I have gardens to plan!!

I bought some seeds and Dahlias at the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show last weekend. Dad loved those Dahlias so I will grow more varieties. I will be planting, Berlinger Kleene, Kelvin Floodlight-a dinner plate variety, Lavender Perfection-another dinner plate variety, and Melody Gypsy. Those should round out the Dahlia bed with the others from dad. He always admired the dinner plate variety but never planted any.

I had a pretty big and productive vegetable garden last year. It was my first year with a big vegetable garden. After dad's diagnosis it was so important for me to get that garden done so that he could walk through it and enjoy it for at least one season. I even canned pickles-and he loved them. It was so important to me that he knew I would carry on his passion for gardening and that my garden held his footsteps.

There is more work to do though! The vegetable garden consists of 8- 10X10 raised beds. I need to put another row of beds around the perimeter. This will be for the berries, asparagus, and grapes. One bed is all herbs. The Seed Savers seeds I have already purchased are-Rosemary, Bushy cucumbers, Thyme, Speckled Roman tomatoes, Purple Vienna Kohlrabi, Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory, Listada de Gandia eggplant, Tango Lettuce, True Lemon cucumbers (this was one of the instructor's favorites!)

More plants to pick out....stay tuned! P.S. It was 11 weeks ago today that dad left to garden with the angels.

 My seeds, Dahlia bulbs, and catalogs to order more!!!