Hi friends and fellow revelers,
I have been out of the loophole a bit lately (tax time appropriate puns permitted?) due to unanticipated medical stuff. As much s I hate hospitals, I’m sure glad they exist. Will be posting again soon, with updates on the wild onion party in my front yard, prepping for spring planting, and the latest from my dirt pile which has now outgrown the compost bin out back and has an outpost in a nearby large container bin. (Does anyone else hide their scrap pile when the exterminator comes around)? All that and more soonish. In the meantime, thanks for all your feedback and comments, and words of encouragement.
QUESTION: What are you all doing to get ready for spring? Any upturned dirt yet? Any seedlings started inside? How are your indoor plants holding up? (My banana plants were looking a little ragged a couple weeks ago but seem to be recovering this dry indoor weather slowly. I’m thinking they are just happier outside, and will perk up when I’m able to get them out there again.) Go ahead … gimme the dirt!
revelgardener 
I hope everything is OK and you’re feeling well.
I recently started combing through my seed catalogues and making my seed wish list. It is really hard to limit myself to a realistic number of seeds, and I still have a few catalogs to go…
I also made a list of all the seeds I have, and that too seemed way too long. What’s a gardener to do? I am still going to buy 2 or 3 old heirloom seeds from Seed Savers Exchange that have a long history behind them as this year’s experiment.
On the bamboo front I’ve been doing some research trying to find a new variety to use as a privacy screen. I have maybe a half dozen types to choose between, and am planning on making a large planter for the lucky candidate.
As for the dirt, it’s still covered with cardboard since last season to kill off whatever is still lurking below. Still no seed starts, it’s hard enough keeping the existing plants with enough sun to stay healthy.
Yesterday I checked the oregano- I forgot to water it again and it looked rather sick. Luckily the cactus doesn’t mind being dry now and then. The banana plants are doing well, and the bamboo is sprouting new stems and leaves at a pretty good pace. My 2 basil plants are making a come back after a long bout of looking ill.
And… the long awaited garden journal will start with the first seed order of the year, documenting things from seed to table. In summary, almost everything to do with this year’s garden is research and planning so far. Hopefully it will pay off, and if it doesn’t I’ll know a few more things not to do in 2013.
Feel well Kati