Is it Spring Yet?

We can't complain, it's been an extremely mild winter up here in Minnesota this year.  We've had very little snow, a welcome change after the 71 inches that fell last season and had us up to our necks in snow drifts for months!  But it's that time of year when all Minnesotans start to get a little itchy about the weather, and can't wait until we can finally see lakes that aren't frozen over, grass from underneath that snow and leaf buds on the trees.

For some reason I'm particularity excited this year to get out in my yard and do a little landscaping.  As you may remember 2011 was the "See What Comes Up" year, so 2012 we'll finally have a chance to work with what we have and add a little more.

But I'm most excited about planting more and expanding our garden.

This year I'm going to take that 25' x 12' terrace and take it to a whole new level with raised beds, proper crop rotation and composting.

I'm eying up these affordable raised bed plans from ana_white.com.

And this compost plan I found on Pinterest:  (although a much smaller version for me)

Source: re-nest.com via Erin on Pinterest

And this so-easy-its-almost-criminal screens for our big AC unit:

Source: canadiangardening.com via Erin on Pinterest

Now all we need is for the last of the snow to melt and things to start to warm up a bit so we can get started.  At least I have plenty of time to start measuring my space, figuring out what size beds I need to build and what will plant best where.  I'm just a big dork sketching on graph paper and a list that won't end.

How about you guys?  Any big outdoor projects you plan to tackle this season?  Anyone thinking of planting a vegetable garden, or do you prefer flowers and landscape?  Thank goodness we don't have another patio project like this insane one to tackle again, but we do have enough wood to stain to make us go broke.  I know, I know, one project at a time...