Head in the garden

Well I've been thinking alot about my new yard and what I want to do with it this year. I know it's a premature thought considering it's still January but I figured the sooner I have everything planned the better, especially with a new baby on the way, I won't have much time in March and April to do alot of planning. I'm so excited to start my project but at the same time I'm alittle nervous because my old garden was just this little piece of earth tucked away in the corner of the house and very easy to work with and maintain. I look now at my yard and I have to start from scratch and let me tell you it's quit intimidating. There are so many things I want to have in my garden, plus I have alot of work ahead of me transplanting all my old flowers and herbs at my mother-in-laws house where my little piece of land was to the new house... I hope they travel well.
I also "HAD" big plans this year to have a chicken coop and I wanted to have a few chickens but that dream was crushed yesterday when I called the town hall only to find out that you need at least five acres to have chickens....but I could have 5 dogs and 3 cats if I wanted to.... and here is some more food for thought I have a friend that lives in Springfield Ma the third largest city in Ma and the fourth largest city in New England who has chickens and she only needed to get a $15 dollar permit for her chickens...I just don't get it?? Can you imagine 5 acres.... A human doesn't even need 5 acres to live, and I think 5 dogs would be a bigger nascence than a few chickens.
So I have moved all of my time and efforts to my garden planning. I'm hoping to have a few different plots all over my yard like an herb garden a flower garden and a fruit and veggie garden.
So in preparation for my fruit and veggie garden I've been looking at my canning books and picking out rec pies that I want to try. I've also been looking through some of my old baby food recipes to see what I want to grow for some yummy homemade baby food too.
So far my fruit/veggie list consists of...
Tomatoes...lots of them
green beans
peas
butternut squash
cucumbers
lettuce
red peppers, green peppers, and hot peppers
I'll be moving over my strawberries...I hope they make the trip.
I'll also be moving over my Blueberry bushes
There are also some wild raspberry and blackberry bushes at my mother-in-laws too that I would love to try to take. I was able to make some fantastic jam last year with what was left after the kids made a big dent in my harvest:-)
I'd also like to try small watermelons too..I tried it one year but picked it when they weren't ripe yet....they was still white in the middle...oops
I'll also be growing potatoes in a trash can

And so far my list of herbs consists of

~Comfry which I'll be moving over from my old garden.
~I'd love to try to grow an elderberry bush but I know they love swampy areas, but maybe i could try (great in homemade cough syrups...the kids LOVE it)
~I'll be moving over my mints as well...I have chocolate mint and spearmint (great in homemade ice teas
~bee balm from my old garden
~St John wort I had in my old garden but I didn't tend to it much last year so I'm not positive it survived
~hops
~calendula
~rosemary I killed last year cause I left it in it's pots so it got water logged (poor things)
~catnip was also flooded so I have to buy new
~basil

and I'm sure I'll add more... Once I get to the flower shop I go crazy and then I tend to buy more at the farmer's market...I do have a problem with over crowding my garden, but on the plus side I have a nice big back yard to fill up this time.
And as far as flowers I usually just pick ones I like at the garden shop. I will be moving over my beautiful butterfly bushes too.
I've also been looking on craigslist for odds and ends that people are trashing... I love weird junk in my garden. Last fall I picked up and old big black trunk on the side of the road it's in rough shape but it will make for a great raised flower bed. My family is always making fun of me for stopping to pick up something on the side of the road but you know the old saying one mans junk is another mans treasures.

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