With Chicago under threat of a foot of snow, visions of colorful blossoms standing tall against the sun are but a faraway dream. Oh, by the way — Happy New Year!

Of course gloomy days like this are the perfect time for daydreaming, and like other gardening aficionados I’m already planning what I’ll do with my 5×12-foot space come spring. And luckily, I’m getting a little help…

When I returned from Christmas holiday I was greeted with catalogs from both Burpee and Tomato Growers, where I order most of the plants and seeds to use in my urban balcony garden. I haven’t exactly decided on a color scheme yet, but a few things have caught my eye already:

• Cherries Jubilee Tomato: How can I resist the promise a whopping 500 juicy gems over the course of the season? (Burpee)
• Lemon Cherry: Anything with lemon in the name works for me, but the promise of just 58 days to this tomato’s maturity pushes it over the top. (Tomato Growers)
• Fancy Dress Petunia: With bicolor yellow and mauve blossoms it’s quite irresistible, plus petunias have proven to last way into fall in my garden. (Burpee)
• Purple Jalapeno: I’ve tried green and yellow, so can’t wait to sample the purple. (Tomato Growers)
• Showtime: A knockout dahlia with big orange petals and an inner flourish of yellow. (Burpee)
• Red Robin: A new small-fruit tomato variety that only becomes about a foot tall, so perfect for small spaces. (Tomato Growers)

The tomatoes will likely stick, but I still have to factor in returning favorites. The pepper, I think, is a sure thing. Once I’ve decided on the colors that will make up this season’s garden I’ll be able to be definitive on my flower selections.

I must admit, though, that I am itching to grow the seeds I collected from last year’s garden, so that may impact the colorscape. (The Yellow Bells shown above produced the long pods pictured, from which I harvested flat, delicate-looking seeds.)

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Another seed that will likely play a part in my color scheme is the freebie I’ll receive from One Seed Chicago, a project that supports local community gardeners and asks Chicago area residents to choose their favorite seed from three prairie varieties. Gardeners who participate in the voting process will receive samples of the winning seed for use in their gardens.

The seeds up for consideration are Purple Coneflower, Bee Balm and Nodding Onion. I’ve already voted, and can’t wait to see how my selection fares. For Chicago gardeners interested in bringing a bit of our natural prairie to their own spaces, it’s a great opportunity.

And though viewers from outside the Chicago area can’t participate in the voting, you should still visit the site for a bit more info about these remarkable plants. You can also get a quick primer on prairies by visiting Wikipedia, which even mentions how prairie plants can have a positive impact on global warming.

Hmmm. Maybe I should consider a prairie theme…Cheers for 2010!!!

[What new plants are you introducing this season? Can’t wait to hear about them!]