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Gardening: Indoors & Out By Jeannie Ross Editor's note: What Jeannie won’t tell you in this article is that her garden is famous, not only for its impossibly large, delicious vegetables and high yield, but for its magical beauty. Bright flowers, gracefully climbing vines, varied shapes—all watched over by a serene wooden owl and a scarecrow wearing one of Jeannie’s purple dresses and big straw hats. Gardens like this start now. ... lbw
For gardeners, I think of January as a time to dream and plan. This is the time of year that we’re naturally more internal so it makes sense that we use this extra time to make the garden a creative process. I love gardening. For me it creates a connection to nature, to life, to the cycles. Some people may think that so much planning seems like too much. But this winter planning is a way to feel more connected to my garden, the outdoors…maybe even the approach of Spring. Here’s some of the “gardening” I do in the dead of Winter. Decide
what kind of gardening will work for you. What’s happening in your life? How much time will you have
to spend on your garden? If you won’t be around to care for specialty
vegetables, they’re not for you. The
first step is to be realistic so you don’t overextend yourself. Make your garden work for you rather than you working for
your garden. Seed
catalogs are arriving! I
get so excited when my seed catalogs come.
I pore over them again and again. Even
if you end up buying starts (plant seedlings), the catalogs give you
information, pictures, ideas. I use
the catalogs to help visualize the plants I’ll be using.
There are lots of seed companies. I
order a lot from Johnny’s Seeds
(link). Seeds of Change has many obscure specialty plants like Native
American squash and oriental vegetables. Cook’s
and Shepherds are also good
Most of the seed companies are online and will send you a catalogue
within a few days. You can also
order online, but I think it’s a lot easier to browse from the catalog itself.
You can begin to decide which plants you’re going to be sprouting from
seed. Research.
Winter is when I have time to research.
I often go online (see links) with specific questions.
What plants should and shouldn’t be planted together?
Why did a certain plant not do well or get a disease? I have several
books that I also rely on: Sleeping with
the Sunflower: A Treasury of Old-Time Gardening Lore by Louise Riotte, Astrological Gardening: The Ancient Wisdom of Successful Planting and
Harvesting by the Stars by Louise Riotte, Gardening: The Complete Guide to Growing America’s Favorite Fruits and
Vegetables by the National Gardening Association and Passport to Gardening: A Sourcebook for the 21st Century
Gardener by Katherine LaLiberte and Ben Watson.(books, authors, publishers).
If I’m thinking about getting any new equipment or products, I look
into those now. Gardener’s Supply
(link) in Burlington is a good resource. They
test all their products right there in their test gardens.
When a product has been tested in your own geographical area, you know
it’s going to work here, not just in North Carolina. Review
last year.
I go through my seeds remaining from last year to see what I need to
order, what I already have. This
also brings back great garden memories. I
keep a lot of notes from the previous year on what worked and didn’t work.
I go over these notes now, trying to determine what I could have done
differently and what was due to weather or climate.
For instance, one year I tried growing celery. That was a total flop! I
just wasn’t around enough to give it the care it needed.
My notes tell me, no more celery.
Set
a timeline. I
use calendars, the farmer’s almanac, folklore to plan when I’m going to
start seedlings, work the ground, put plants in.
Memorial Day is usually considered safe for planting frost free.
The farmer’s almanac can give you the last frost date. I count 6-8 weeks back from that for starting seeds..
Growing up I’d hear the old time farmers’ folklore and think, “Oh
sure,” But then I tried their techniques and they worked!
This is an oral tradition, passed down from generation to
generation—like planting with the phases of the moon.
It’s second nature to plant like this.
Now I do a lot of my gardening by the moon. Design
and map.
I like to map out my garden. I
don’t like rows and rows and rows. So
I experiment with different formations, like a jigsaw puzzle.
I daydream about the colors I want, the flowers, the shapes.
I draw maps and diagrams, change them, change them again.
I see my garden as my refuge, my daily dose of peace, so I try to design
it to make being in the garden a pleasurable experience.
If you are starting your first garden, location is part of the design.
Drainage, exposure to the sun, and soil quality are important.
It’s also nice to be able to see your garden from your house or road.
Seeing it is what inspires me to make my garden creative.
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