Janus, who lends his name to the month of January, was the dual-faced Roman god of gates and doors. He also was called the god of beginnings as it was commonly believed that you needed to go through a door or gate in order to enter a new place or beginning.
The god was depicted as looking forward and backwards at the same time–forward towards new beginnings and back towards the past. It’s an appropriate symbol for this month as it’s a time when gardeners are thinking about last year’s garden in order to look ahead to the new growing season.
If you are like many gardeners, you probably keep notes on annual seed and plant purchases, past garden successes and failures, and even new things to try. It’s a good idea to review these before you start planning your seed and equipment orders. Maps of past gardens will help you rotate plants and avoid overcrowding when planning spacing of plantings.
January is a good time to start a garden journal or even just a file where you can store articles clipped out of newspapers and magazines, or lists of ideas you want to try in the garden. A good place to get a few new ideas is by taking a class or joining a garden club. Most gardeners love to talk about gardening and won’t mind sharing some of their tried and true methods and products with you. Or apply to the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener program. For more information, visit send an e-mail to [email protected].
Next, check the seeds you saved and stored from last year’s garden. Discard anything that is damp, diseased, moldy, or in otherwise bad condition. Look over what’s left, and determine what you need to order.
You also should take a look at squash, potatoes, root crops, and other
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