I am writing this on the last day of February. If you’ve read my column over the years, then you know that not one that goes by in which I don’t write about the February blues.
It is a real scientific issue when people go without a certain period of sunlight. Add to the short days a number of overcast skies and damp cold weather. It is just inevitable. Perhaps this is why I always find myself planning in these last days of the "Dreary Season."
So far, I am planning my grandson's second birthday party and a family reunion. But the best part of this new venture into springtime is planning my garden. There is something about planning out a garden that makes the whole world fall into perspective. Perhaps it reminds me of my childhood and the many years we worked together forming rows and planting seeds. We owned a nursery so this pretty much took place year round.
As I grew older, I had to get used to people who did not live in the country referring to their flower beds as their garden. These were two very distinct things where I grew up. The flower beds needed mulching and weeding, but the garden rendered fruit. And the layout of the garden was just as neatly designed as the flower beds that dressed up the houses in downtown.
Choosing the perfect spot that had proper drainage and sunshine came first. If you moved in after a past gardener, this was usually already picked out and there were small ripples in the grass revealing past echoes of a gardener's conquests. Once the measurements were decided, phase two began. That is currently where I am in my future springtime crop. The soil needs to be patiently tilled and fertilized by Mother Nature's best "Cow Poop."
This process takes about four weeks at least, tilling and letting the dirt settle and then tilling again. Once the foundation of the garden is rich and prepared, the layout must be decided. Place all the wandering vines on the outskirts and make sure the trellis for the beans doesn't shut out the sun for other plants. There is always the chance of cross pollination, which gave me yellow cucumbers one year.
My garden has always and will always continue to be a work in progress as I learn from trial and error. I have had the most glorious green trellis that produced not one sprout. And I had a ball planting lettuce only to notice the dogs cocking their legs on them. Lettuce now grows in planters three feet in the air.
There is also timing. If you plant too early that last surprise freeze can sneak up and ruin all your plans. If you plant too late the scorching sun of summertime will stunt the growth of your sprouts. And regardless of the planning a very wet season can wash all plans away or a severe drought can dry them up. The nutrients in rain from the sky can never be replaced in a sprinkler.
But, if you plan well and prepare properly and Mother Nature cooperates and your seeds sprout on time, life will rise up from the rich soil and your bounty will be celebrated by family and neighbors. The greatest joy of having a prosperous garden is sharing the fruit of your labor with loved ones.
And I believe that sums up my love of gardening. It is away an attempt to control that which can never be controlled: Life. A way to work and plan and prosper and prepare again for the next year's bounty. And when perseverance meets opportunity, there you have it. Thanks to Springtime for these reminders.
