What are the first things that you plant in your garden? Of course, after the snow and ice melts. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and onions. Next, on Valentines Day, your seed potatoes. Valentines day has always been the day of the old wives tale. While I am on the old wives tale, remember that if it thunders in February it will frost in April. We have written and kept up with this many times and that tale is usually right. Just mark it on the calendar each time that it thunders and match it up with the days of April. Those old wives knew a lot.

After the potatoes, you usually can plant the green beans and pintos. Blue Lake beans are the most popular, but many still use the Kentucky Wonder. The pintos that are most popular are the Taylor Horticulture Bean.

Now comes the fun part. Corn, sweet or field corn. Most gardeners like the Sweet G90 corn. Did you know that the 90 stands for the numbers of days before harvesting? There are a lot of new varieties to chose from.

After the corn, feel free to plant anything you want. Watermelon and cantaloupe are the last thing in the garden. The Watermelon farm’s goal is too be ready by the Fourth of July.

Well, I guess the best thing that you can do now is to design and make plans. Building the above ground beds is something that happens now. Stay by the fire and dream of the garden you want to plant this year.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal. Email Mitzi questions at  mitzithomas40@yahoo.com.)