I feel bad for my family and friends in Wisconsin who are having to endure another round of brutally cold temperatures. February was always the hardest month for me when I lived there. Even though the shortest month of the year, February seemed to go on forever in Wisconsin, seemingly no end in sight from snowstorm after snowstorm or frigid temperatures. Many times both. And it was always dark. Dark when I went to work. Dark when I came home from work. Just depressing.

So I feel a little guilty enjoying the weather here in central Texas. But not enough to stop me from checking out a couple garden centers today. And guess what I found? Tons of bushy green tomato plants! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but in a way I was. Several people have told me February usually has the coldest temperatures, so I thought I might not see any until late February or early March. But there they were, the Early Girls, Better Boys, Celebrities, among many other varieties. That also prompted me to take a look at the raised bed kits, one of which is pictured below.
I think I’ll probably do a combination of sizes and heights so I have room for tall veggies like tomatoes and shorter ones like peas, beans and carrots. I also like the multi-planter idea at right. I could see doing a combination of herbs and flowers, or maybe even some lettuce or peppers. The kit says you paint the pots your favorite colors, too, which would be very pretty. And I could see changing the colors from year to year, depending on my mood.

This week, I think I’ll spend a little time measuring my space to see what size beds will work, and maybe next weekend I can actually buy them and start preparing the yard. The slope is going to require some digging, which I’m sure husband isn’t going to be too happy about. But hey, if it gets him fresh peas and beans, I think he’ll help me figure it all out.