Let's get the legal stuff out of the way first: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality, not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Ok, with that said, welcome to the very first edition of our new blog! Thanks for stopping by to check it out! We hope you'll find some useful information here. If you have any questions, or suggestions for future blogs, feel free to drop us a line!
So here we are, in the middle of another long Midwestern winter. But it's February 1st, and anyone that knows me knows that today is one of my favorite days of the year, because today we can officially say that Spring is next month! If you're a gardener, or someone who just enjoys spending time in your own backyard, you're probably daydreaming about the projects you'll do and the time you'll spend in your yard this spring and summer. While it can be frustrating thinking about gardening when the temperature outside is in the single digits, it's actually the perfect time to start planning those projects.
The first thing you need to do is decide what types of projects you want to take on. Do you want to grow vegetables? Put in a fire pit? Add a new seating area to your yard? How about a water feature or a new perennial garden? Now is the time to be making those decisions. If you're going to take on a construction project, will you do it yourself, or hire a contractor to handle it? If you're going to do it yourself, you need to figure out the location, the size, and not only the financial budget, but the time budget. How much money do you want to designate for this project? And how much time can you spend on it? This is a great time to start window shopping, either online or in person, for the materials you'll need to complete this project. If you're planning on hiring a contractor, this would be a good time to start looking for one, if you don't already have one in mind. One way to do this to ask family or friends for a recommendation. Word-of-mouth is a great way to find out about the best (or worst) companies out there. After you've compiled a list of contractors, you can narrow it down by researching the companies online. Once you have a short list, it's time to contact these companies to get on their list, and start getting bids. Most companies start lining up their jobs around now, but some will have already started that process last fall.
If you're thinking about putting in a vegetable garden, now's the time to decide what kind of veggies you want to grow. Will you start the plants from seeds, or buy already established plants from a nursery? If you're anything like Fritz, you like to go to the store and peruse the seed racks in person. If you'd rather do that from the comfort of your own home, here are a couple of great options. The first one, Seeds Now offers a huge selection of 100% heirloom flower and vegetable seeds, as well as herbs, sprouts, and lots of other seeds. Another great place to buy seeds is the Ferry Morse Seed Company. They also sell a great selection of seed starting supplies, from lights, to containers, to soil, and everything in between. If you are planning on starting your seeds indoors, they are a great resource for everything you need, and they also have some great seed starting guides on their site.
Before you order any seeds, be sure to find out what USDA planting zone you are in to make sure the seeds that you choose can handle your climate. If you're in the Metro Detroit area, you are in Zone 6. Other things to note - what is the germination time of the seeds that you want to grow? Also, do they do best in full shade, full sun, or somewhere in between? Can you plant them directly in the garden (direct sow), or do you need to start them indoors? Both of the seed sites above have an abundance of helpful information to get you started, but if you have any questions and don't find the answers there, please feel free to reach out to us!
Coming soon: Our new Affiliate Page, where you can find links to some other great ideas, products, and companies!