Gardens in Winter

The frost on my window is so high only a sliver of scenery is visible, and outside the once-soft snow has sublimated into something more like sterofoam.  Without a doubt,  January is the perfect time to plan and dream of gardens.
    Bright tomatoes, with bottoms like sunsets and tops like pumpkins, grace the cover of my Seed Saver's Exchange catalog.   I fell in love with Seed Saver's colorful heirloom vegetables back in my days of apartment living.  I gardened vicariously, planting their blue potatoes, red dragon carrots, and yellow watermelons.
    Now I get to pick for real.  My desk is fill of lists of possible produce and areal drawings of my yard, spiffed up with crayon to make my gardening intentions clear to the whole family.  Solomon has insisted on potatoes, and has chosen the yukon gold variety.  Nova is most looking forward to watermelon--surprisingly, she is a vegetable traditionalist (in terms of color) and has picked out the handsome Chris Cross strain.   For Charles we will plant cucumbers, though he may have to eat them in the form of pickles since he will be away.  I, of course, want tomatoes.  The rest (including the fruit trees) are yet to be decided.