One Hundred Dollars a Month

This is a guest post written by my buddy Heather from Massachusetts. I thought it would be fun this year to post Monthly Garden Chores from both the West Coast and East Coast.

Can you believe it’s December already? A year can really plow right by you when you have a marker like a post-a-month. This is a photo of my East Coast garden every month – cool right?

Since it’s December, in New England, the gardening is rather scarce. And since we just finished off the Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic about all the things I’ve learned from Mavis. And hopefully, when she reads this, she {and you}, won’t roll your eyes. Because, honestly, Mavis has turned out to be that great {albeit electronic} neighbor next door you had no idea you were about to inherit when they moved in, but are thrilled with your good fortune.

I often joke with my husband of 16 years that he survived all sixteen years because when we first got married I didn’t know how to cook AT ALL. Let me put this into reference for you: Eighteen years ago {we were roommates first}, I’d put the pan of water on the stove and put the pasta in right away and then wait for it to boil. Seriously folks, he ate undercooked food, overcooked {read: burnt}, and plain disgusting food. Food I actually took away from him at the dinner table because once I took a bite I realized it was just inedible.

Over the years I’ve mastered a good 10-15 solid, easy recipes from my mother-in-law, who when I first met her, had to teach me how to pick out meat from a grocery store. I’m not kidding. It.Was.Ugly.

In the last two years, with the help of Mavis’ blog, my cooking learning curve has been fast-forwarded by about ten years. I love that her recipes are a handful of ingredients and they are broken down into a few simple steps. Simply put, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

So let’s finish up the December East Coast Edition of my year as a guest-poster {is that a word?}:

Seeds I’m Starting Indoors this Month

With the cold frame completed {haha-I-can’t-believe-I’ve-finally-finished-that-project-right-in-the-nick-of-time-before-it-snowed} I can start as much lettuce as I want under the grow lights and plant the little darlings into the cold frame.

What I Plan to Transplant Outside this Month

Lettuce, if I have built that cold frame properly.

Plants and/or Bulbs I Plan to Purchase this Month

My daughter loves to go to the grocery store with me, mainly to sneak stuff into the cart I think, but while in the produce section she declared that she LOOOooovvved sprouts. That was news to me. So when I saw Botanical Interests 20% off Cyber Monday Week deal, well I couldn’t hold out any longer and I did finally bought the seed sprouter {that I’ve put in my Botanical Interests shopping cart five times in the last year} and seeds for next spring.

What I plan to Harvest This Month

Eggs, Lettuce from the cold frame, and sprouts from my seed sprouter. Hopefully, these two projects will keep the winter {no-gardening} cabin fever at bay.

Houseplants and Indoor Bulbs

Winter is sooo dry. Especially if you use a wood stove or pellet stove {like we do}, you can almost see the lack of moisture in the air. Your houseplants (and no doubt your skin) will benefit from a few strategically placed humidifiers. We’ve got ours running day and night already.

Trees and Shrubs

Trees and shrubs have been mulched, wrapped, and supported in preparation for massive amounts of snow. Now we just hunker down and wait for spring.

Weed and Pest Control

If you hear what sounds like 15 toddlers {with really long toenails} in your attic – ACT FAST. Those are squirrels or chipmunks and once they get in, they are very hard to get out. If you haven’t already, take a maintenance-style look around your attic and take precautions such as keeping tree limbs away from the house and sealing any attic openings.

Lawn Care

Lawn care has now morphed into snow removal operations. But before we get three feet of snow, drag the snow blower out of the shed and put it in the garage. Look it over, fix that thing that drove you nuts last year, buy a handful of shear pins {with a lot of ice and snow they never fail to break at 5:00 am with half the driveway done when you’ve got to get to work}, and fill it up with gas.

Mavis Readers are the best! Thanks for your help, comments, suggestions, and recipes this last year!

**These garden chores are based on my Zone 5b Southeast/Boston MA location. Find your garden zone HERE.