So there I was winterizing the back yard, packing all the chairs & umbrellas into the garage, trimming up the chives, deadheading etc. when the pumpkin patch (now a dead bed) kept winking at me. It sits there, a future mini "half-ass" hugelkultur, flirting away, daring me to make it beautiful and functional.

You may have noticed my absence from alyssahagen.com for the last 6 weeks. A great full-time job landed in my lap and within a week, I went from being a full-time mom, part-time gardener, to working full-time, gardening no-time and trying to squish family life somewhere in between.

With a needed vacation from the office over Thanksgiving weekend, I was finally out in my element, (scraping chicken poop from the coop in the pouring rain...) which led me to thinking about spring. My next project was going to be a greenhouse, but I think that's overkill. I need to do a little more research, but I'm currently plotting raised window boxes. 

Along with my new job comes a paycheck, which I may as well throw directly into my landscape, because that's where it's going anyway. 

I'd love to start pumpkin seeds in March... and maybe even someflowers... 

Updated pages:

• Halloween Scarecrow
  
• Thanksgiving Apple Pie... with Burbon
• Winter Gardening Couture Carhartt Overalls 
  
• Spring: Deck, Raised Beds & Cucumber Frames, oh my!

The deck at my house has a certain ice skating rink quality. At any moment you could slip on the slimy moss and wet mold provided by the rotting wood. It's about two years past needing replacement and it's going to be downright dangerous come spring. That's the bad news. Also bad, the fact that I want to double the size of the deck AND use manufactured wood next time, oh, and I want an arbor over the new half of the deck. I can see my contracter jumping up and down, clapping his hands right now.

Along with my optimistic deck project, comes the framing in of my recently-successful pumpkin patch, which I would also like to turn into a "Half-Ass Hugelkultur." This bed is located in the sunniest place on our property. Between the two raised beds would boast a 6x6 foot patio with a fountain. Yeah, it gets better... between the raised beds and the new deck, I'd like the cucumber frames, which are raised garden beds with hinged windows a la mini greenhouses. This is where I'd like to start sprouting pumpkin seeds in March. 

Under the deck, I'd like a space for the kids to play, including a couple swings. I also want a delightful dumping of playchips around the entire area... from the patio, to the gravel path.

I dream big, but I usually find a way to MAKE. IT. HAPPEN.