The First Signs of Spring in Boise

This Saturday, I drove down Warm Springs Boulevard to help a client with her garden installation. As I did, the sun peeked out from the clouds and for a moment, it felt like spring in Boise. Homeowners were outside doing projects, catching the warm sun, the birdsong was louder, and I thought to myself, spring is on its way.

Hooch helping out with part of a garden installation this Saturday.

This feeling continued throughout my day. I stopped by North End Organic Nursery to pick up some seeds and trays, and the place was buzzing. They had just hosted one of their seed starting classes, and their seed racks were recently rearranged for more social distancing. Still, gardeners were jockeying for position, craning their necks to find just the right heirloom tomato variety for their summer garden. I met some new people as we kept moving to the same spots in the store, shopping for seed starting supplies. It felt so good to be talking about gardening, about all the hope that spring brings.

I’m hopeful for a busy spring, growing in my own garden and growing confident gardeners around this incredible city. I know that we all get caught up in the “what’s next” loop, so I’m trying to remind myself to enjoy the still-quiet days of winter where I can continue to study my craft by reading and planning.

Spring gardening begins in just a few weeks. The soil in raised beds warms faster than soil in the ground, so I’ll be planting lettuces and peas at the beginning of February. If you want to grow greens (lettuce, kale, spinach), our spring is short and starting as early as possible is your best bet.

My carpenter’s wood supplier has already run out of stock, but he has some set aside for my current projects. The wood lot won’t get a new shipment until March, so if you want to get a garden bed ordered and installed in time for spring, this week is the time to schedule a New Garden Consult.

If you’re overwhelmed by the prospect of gardening planning and staying on task, this is also an excellent week to sign up for the Boise Kitchen Garden Club. Everyone who signs up by Jan. 15 will be invited to a small-group planning session where we’ll go through each step to planning out our gardens and getting ready for spring planting. I hope you’ll join me.