I'm someone who thinks "plan" is a four-letter word, so it's pretty funny that I'm suggesting that you consider planning next year's Spring garden while you're still waiting anxiously for this one!

In the areas of the country where it gets cold enough, nothing says Spring quite like bulbs do.  That first crocus, or daffodil brings incredible sunshine and hope to our color-starved eyes.  So this spring, while you're enjoying your garden and the gardens all around you, take the time to make some mental notes.  Which bulb displays brought delight to your heart, which color combinations were striking or plant combinations seemed to extend the bloom time the longest?  Were there any of your naturalized bulbs displays that were in need of refreshing?  Are there any areas you can dig up and harvest bulbs to spread into additional plantings?  If you're like me you think you'll remember all the information when it's time to plant in the fall, but chances are you won't.  So take the time to write the notes down on your calendar in the appropriate month for planting during the fall section.  I write in big bold red letters, "JUST DO IT"  because I know myself all too well!

I find that when fall rolls around I've grown a little weary of gardening, and it can be really hard to force myself to attend to planting for the spring.  But a little bit of time spent in October or November can yield fabulous results for months on end in the Springtime.  There is little you can do in a garden where such a small amount of effort can produce such fabulous results.  A favorite Spring display of mine is to layer bulbs in oversized terracotta pots.  You can plant layers of bulbs in the same pot so that you'll have early, mid and late season blooms planted at varying depths.  Then put the pots away in a cool dark garage if you have freeze issues, or leave them outside for the winter if you don't. 

This year I didn't plant my fall annuals and it was such a dreary winter.  My yard could have sparkled with winter color… we can grow pansies, snapdragons, icelandic poppies and primula all winter long, but I didn't do the necessary work in the fall and I'm determined never to do that again! 

Another simple planning suggestion is to create a notebook with 12 monthly sections.  Here's where you will place articles with instructions for tasks you should do at a certain time, a garden checklist with tasks by the season for your particular region, or a garden that was featured in a magazine that you would like to duplicate.  Simply file it under the month when you should actually implement the idea, or the month beforehand if it requires significant planning.  When the time rolls around, flip through your pages and you'll remember ideas you had long forgotten or tasks that you might otherwise overlook.  Also, you can use standard vinyl page protectors to hold well-dried seeds stored in small, snack sized ziploc bags waiting for the appropriate month to plant them.  Make sure that you have at least a generously-sized 2" or 3" notebook that you can have pictures inside the covers to inspire yourself with!  Take pictures of your garden at its peak and store them in each month's section so you can see what worked and what you want to change.  Most of all have fun!

Audrey Jeanne Roberts