It's Never Too Early to Exercise Your Green Thumb!
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." ~Cicero
Have you noticed how beautiful the weather has been this winter? As I look out today and see the beautiful blue, sunny sky, I begin to get the urge to get outside and start planting our annual garden.
These 70 and 80 degree days have got me to thinking about all I need to do this spring. Spring cleaning is a must! That’s a priority above all. But when I’m inside, I want to be outside creating something beautiful that I can watch grow all summer. But why should I plant that beautiful garden? Whenever I do, those crazy rabbits that are planning families as I speak will just eat it.
A few years ago, I began growing some of my own vegetables during the summer. Around Mother’s Day, I would plant my first tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in the hope we would have fresh produce all summer. I learned some lessons along the way:
Water gardening has become a trend in home landscaping. Water can have a soothing effect, and is an asset to any landscaping. Creating a beautiful, tranquil escape at home has never been easier, thanks to the book Water Gardening by J. R. L. Carter.
It is the season to start gardening, but I hate to garden. I do enjoy looking at gardens once someone has created them, but the maintaining the garden is where I run into trouble with any garden I try and start. My troubles start with remembering to water my garden, since the amount of water something depends on the Midwest weather. My next problem is that the weeds like to grow when I do not feel like pulling them out, which leads to more weeds in my garden than plants or flowers. By the end of the gardening season, I usually either have a very dead garden or one that i
It’s that time of year, the time of year when I can’t wait to get my hands dirty. Having mud on my knees (and a smudge on my face) is my idea of a great time. I’m talking about planting a garden. Now, I’m used to working with flowers in the garden, but the realm of the vegetable garden is new to me. This is most likely due to the small number of vegetables that I am actually willing to eat. However, this year I decided to try growing some of my own veggies.
In the spring of every year, my Dad would plant a garden. Dad always used heirloom seeds. He would save the seeds from the vegetables every summer. He would spread them out on a wire screen and let them dry. He would then put them in small jars to use the next spring. About 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost date in our area, Dad would get his seeds out and get them started in tin cans indoors. By the time the weather was just right, he would transplant them into the garden. He always had a beautiful garden!
With spring just around the corner, gardening seems to come to mind. There are many different types of gardens these days. You can plant a flower garden, gardens to attract butterflies, or the good ole vegetable gardening. So, get out the gardening gloves and get started!
While I was doing research for my new vegetable garden, I ran across several books on companion planting. I had heard of companion planting, but I didn’t know any details. So, I checked one out. It was full of very interesting information! For instance, I learned that marigolds deter many insect pests, and most vegetables don’t like fennel. Also, many plants have other plants that can harm or enhance their flavors. I had never realized that you couldn’t plant certain plants near each other.
Organic gardening is one of the most popular of all gardening methods. Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary defines organic as: of, relating to, or derived from living organisms. So basically, going organic means you garden without the use of chemical herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, or fertilizers.
