I am far from a professional gardener.  lol  I’m not even a moderately experienced gardener.  I’m more like an amateur enthusiast that dreams really big.    But, each of the last couple years, I have learned a little more about how to produce more nutritious food for our family, stretch our grocery budget and be a better steward of the resources God has provided us.  What I lack in experience, is made up for in crazy, wild enthusiasm and a desire to learn even more (plus eat lots and lots of tomatoes)!  Seriously, I’m so excited about spring and as usual, have had to restrain myself from starting a garden since that deceptively warm week in January, that each year, engages my gardening soul, trying to tempt and fool me, even though my gardening head KNOWS that January in Nebraska is not the time to put tender seedlings into the ground. *sigh*

How's this for some garden dreaming? I love the functionality of it! If you are a Pinterest user, then check out my Garden Board, by clicking this picture. There are 148 pins (links to some of the best garden ideas and tutorials), I have found around the Internet! It's great inspiration to get your gardening creativity flowing. Photo credit: http://andrewsseed.blogspot.com

Another great idea from Pinterest! Growing vertically is always a space-saving option in the garden and what kid wouldn't have amazing memories of the summers he spent playing in the green bean teepee? How cool is this? Photo credit: http://joyfultoddlers.blogspot.com

The good news is, it’s not January anymore!  I’m starting seeds inside, to be transplanted later.  I’m getting started with a few cooler weather crops, in pots up on my deck, too.  Regardless of where you live in the U.S., right now, if it isn’t time to get your garden in the ground, it will be soon and it’s definitely time to get some seeds going inside.  Every year, I browse the seed catalogs that come to the house, dreaming and planning, planning and dreaming.  To be honest, I had a gorgeous garden spot at the home we had to sell three years ago – six gorgeous raised beds, a grape arbor, blueberry bushes, a rhubarb patch and lots of potted plants in and around it all.  It was bordered, trimmed and mulched to perfection.  After two summers, I finally had it finished and it was producing in great abundance.  And then we moved — lol.  Leaving it behind sort of took the wind out of my gardening “sails” for a bit.  We actually moved twice in that three years; and now, that we’ve finally landed in a more permanent situation, I’m getting my gardening mojo back and I’m ready to start, again.  Last summer was our first growing season in this house and while I did get one raised bed in the back yard and had quite a container garden going on the deck, it was more a summer for seeing what would come up from the previous owner’s labors, crying and fussing a lot about what did come up and where it was placed and realizing that this summer, we were going to need to invest a lot more time and sweat to create the garden that fits our family.  So, it’s March.  The journey begins.

All you need to get your plants started inside is some seed, something to plant them in ( I love these little peat moss pellets that come in their own tray and swell up to become awesome seed starting "pots".), some water and ......

craft sticks! I used an ink pen to write on them and label each little peat moss pellet with the name of the seed planted in it. The markers can move right with the seedlings when I transplant them.

I hope that whether you have a sprawling acreage or one cute container on your patio or deck, that you will plant something, this summer.  It’s indescribable joy to put your hands in the dirt, plant a tiny seed and watch it grow and produce something delicious!  What an amazing God to have designed such a process and then to allow us to share in it and reap the bounty!  You can do it!  Plant something!  You’ll be so glad you did!  AAAAAAND…I’m going to make it even more exciting for you.  How would you feel about a giveaway of an ENTIRE GARDEN of open-pollinated, pure, natural and non-GMO Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds?  Flippin’ amazing!!???  I kind of thought you might.  Let me tell you a little bit about this fabulous company and why heirloom seeds are so important.  Then we’ll get this giveaway underway so you have a chance to start your own fabulous garden.

It's amazing what you can produce in just containers and pots on your deck! This was from our three-year transient period, where it wasn't practical for me to start an actual garden bed. We ate basil, chives and oregano, tomatoes and cucumbers all summer long from our cute little deck garden; and I canned many quarts of hot pepper jelly and still had jalapeno peppers left to freeze.

Baker Creek carries one of the largest selections of seeds (1400 varieties, from 70 countries) from the 19th century, including many Asian and European varieties. The company has stepped into the forefront of promoting and preserving a heritage in agriculture and gardening; and finding ways to help others grow food that tastes the way you remember — before hybrids and GMO’s.  Jere and Emilee Gettle, owners of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, work to supply seeds to many of the world’s poorest countries and also right here in the U.S., for school gardens and educational projects, plus they are producing and saving enough to meet the demands of home gardeners, like you and me.  It is their goal to educate everyone about a better, safer food supply and fight gene-altered food production.  All Baker Creek Heirloom seed is non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented.  The Gettles and the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds company work with a network of about 100 small farmers, gardeners and seed growers to bring you the best selection of seeds available! Many of the varieties they sell were collected while the Gettles traveled abroad.

Is it silly that this was one of the most exciting packages to receive and open? It's the Baker Heirloom Seeds Large Northern Collection. You can purchase individual packets of seeds or whole collections, selected specifically for your areas growing conditions.

It just keeps getting better. This is heirloom garden seed heaven! did you know that properly stored, heirloom garden seeds can last several years? I love that they come in this great storage bucket!

What are heirloom seeds and why are they important?  Heirloom seeds come from plants that have been grown and had their seeds saved from  one generation to another.  They have been given great care and been saved because they are considered valuable, for one reason or another.  Flavor, productivity, hardiness or adaptability all weigh into the determination of a plant variety’s value. Heirloom seeds may have been saved and passed down in families or cultures for fifty, one hundred, or for some, even three hundred years.  Many of these plants would be extinct, now, if not for their careful cultivation and the saving of their seeds, over the years.  The commonly held belief in commercial farming is that heirloom seeds lend themselves better to family gardening and small farms, than to mass production, which is why they are not usually considered viable options for corporate farms.  For family gardening, there is a definite trend back to heirloom seeds.  For many of us, it’s the desire to know what we are feeding our families, where it comes from and how it’s grown.  Another part of it is a longing for the unmistakable flavors we remember from our childhood – a time when we would pick a tomato and eat it right in the garden, enjoying the delicious burst of flavor that can’t be found in today’s supermarket varieties.

I laid all the seeds out on the table and "organized" them, to be sure of all that I had and to try and get pictures of most, for you. You will save so much money on your garden if you start your plants from seed, on your own. Seeds are only a fraction of the cost of buying plants at the nursery. Growing them yourself means you know exactly how they have been handled. Did you notice the amaranth and flax in the upper right-hand corner? I hadn't intended to plant any grain, but the amaranth is so gorgeous, I am going to put a barrel up near my front porch to display the beautiful flowers and we'll harvest the greens and seeds as an added bonus! Why yes! Yes that it IS a total of SEVEN different tomato varieties, you see. Be still my heart! Little yellow pear tomatoes, Mountain Princess Tomatoes, Black from Tula Tomatoes, Orange Woodle...

Heirloom seeds are good for flavor, they are good for your family’s health and they are good for your family’s personal economy.  Growing food of any kind is obviously a savings when it comes to the grocery budget, but many people don’t realize that growing heirloom seeds, means you can save seeds from your produce and plant them to create next year’s garden.  That’s another savings!  We’re going to learn so much more about seeds, plants, gardening and composting, this summer.  I can’t wait to share what we’re doing and hear about all that you are planting, too, but for now,  I want to give you a couple snapshots of how we are starting out and give you the opportunity to get in on this fabulous giveaway for a Baker Creek Seeds LARGE Collection!!!  You’ll get to select either the Large Northern or Large Southern collection, to suit the growing conditions where you live.  That’s a $99 value and includes over 25 types of vegetables in more than 60 varieties. I flipped when I saw all that was included!  Be sure you check out all the great garden products at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  Whether you wait for the giveaway or go ahead and order because you can’t wait to get started, you’ll be as pleased as I was with the service and high quality, pure seeds for your family’s garden!

Some of the seed names are familiar, from my childhood and my parents' garden. Hale's Best Muskmelon, Little Marvel Peas, Danvers Half Long Carrots or Sugar Baby Watermelons were names I recognized, but there were so many more that were new to me. With 25 different vegetables and 60 varieties mixed into these seeds, that's a LOT of new! I'm so excited!

Rissa is excited about Indian Corn and sunflowers. I'm looking forward to trying out all the varieties of lettuce and greens! Endive, arugula, mustard greens, red romaine, tango lettuce, spinach, kale, oriental greens!

Peppers and rhubarb and swiss chard! Oh my! Cauliflower, tomatillos and beets. So many veggies to choose from! My garden is getting bigger by the minute! lol

I'm interested to see what a Ground Cherry looks and tastes like. I think it is similar to a tomatillo. And, have you ever seen anything like that Lemon Cucumber? I can't wait to see what that tastes like! I'll bet it's gorgeous in salads.

My plants are started and I feel so much better, now that I've gotten my "garden fix". I'm going to be sharing progress reports and we'll talk about the different varieties of plants and how to care for them. Plus, you're going to get to watch me finally tear in and make that backyard garden space, my own. Stay tuned for all the updates!

So, what’s growing in your garden?  Have you started?  Never tried, but now you think maybe you need a tomato in the pot on your deck?  I can’t wait to hear your gardening plans!  Be sure to ask questions, too.  If I don’t know the answer, I’ll just go track it down and then we’ll all learn, together.

You thought I was never gonna stop talking, didn’t you?    No worries!  I didn’t forget.  Here’s the fabulously generous giveaway from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds!  To enter, just visit their website and find a veggie you’d like to try or one you’ve never heard of.  You choose.  Then come back and leave a comment telling me what the name of it is.  Click that DO IT button in the Rafflecopter form, hit ENTER and that’s it.  You’re entered to win AND you will have unlocked several additional optional entries, if you’ like to increase your chances.  Good luck!

Yahoo! It's part of my newborn garden. Be sure to check back and see how it's growing.

I received a Large Northern Seed Collection from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, in order to test the products in my own garden and write this review.  No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required.  As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience with the products.