That’s when she first learned the basics of gardening from her Grandmother, who also implanted love for digging in the dirt within her. It is still an important of her life today. She is an indoor gardener. “This early start to planting brings me many joys. The feeling of working with dirt while the winter wind howls, watching those tiny seeds sprout up is a miracle of nature. Having the plants thrive over time and growing food and flowers, that I started from seed is a great reminder that winter will come to an end .”
We all know that Saskatchewan just went through prolonged extreme cold as well as recent winter storm watches. While some may suggest that it is too early to nurture seedlings, Pelletier disagrees. She says it is during these cold winter days that planting not only provides food later in the spring/summer it’s also therapeutic, looking forward to new beginnings. She says the tiny seedlings also represent love for family, friends and community. “Some of the plants I start go to friends and family, so it is nice to see that people enjoy something that I started. I love getting their growing reports on the plants over the summer. I also enjoy making my own salsa, tomato sauces, pickles, etc., from the things I grow. Canning in the late summer and fall is fun for me.”
Pelletier calls herself an amateur gardener who embraced indoor, winter gardening about seven years ago. She admits that it was trial and error when she first began, saying that she killed many of those early seedlings - by overwatering. It is a piece of advice that she’s happy to share with others who may have an interest in starting their own indoor gardens. She has other suggestions on how to get an early start on a bumper crop, even before the standard May Long Weekend date, which is when many usually begin to plant.
“With the short growing season we have in Saskatchewan we need to start many plants indoors. I have three little inside greenhouses that I use to start the plants inside my home. The outside greenhouse is just a small one that I would never be able to keep warm enough in winter. I move the inside plants to the outside greenhouse, generally when the night temperature does not get less than minus eight or so. I have a small heater in the outside greenhouse.”
Pelletier says that she talks to her plants every day once those seedlings sprout. She cheers them on, knowing that soon enough, those plants will provide nourishment for her family, as well as providing a haven for bees and butterflies.
Over the coming weeks, which are sure to include more snow, wind and cold, Pelletier says she will continue to find joy while watching her tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and flowers continue to grow.
By Carol Rose GoldenEagle
