Planning a Garden

Today there is an unexpected burst of warm after several weeks of cold, cold air. It's supposed to hit 51, which feels luxurious and toasty, and the weather has my thoughts turning towards spring. This year, with a new baby on the way, I'm being realistic about my ability to plant any sort of meaningful vegetable garden. But, our big yard does have three raised gardening beds, and I think that if I do my planning right, I can have a meaningful spring garden under way before the bundle makes her appearance in April.

In previous years, my favorite vegetable gardens have been primarily used for salads. We love having fresh salads, and salad greens are resilient and easy to grow. We've tried carrots-- which never did well in our New England soil, but we might try again this year. I have always loved picking berries (raspberries at the park in Boston, and strawberries in Irene's garden last year), which are delicious and bountiful, so maybe if I get lucky I'll get a few raspberry shrubs for my birthday (hint, hint, Ben). And I just might try a couple of veggies that I could plant in the early spring and harvest later in the summer- maybe potatoes and cherry tomatoes, which I prefer to larger varieties just because they have a longer season (and are oh so sweet).

I'm thinking this is it for this year. Maybe I'll sow a few wildflowers in the "wild" section of the yard in the hopes of some summertime bouquets. Does anyone else have any gardening hopes or ideas for this year?