End of Disappointment, Beginning of Hope: or the Optimism of Gardening

September 08, 2012

This year’s gardening experience has been disappointing, frustrating, hot, and dusty. Coming out of a mild winter, we were all excited about getting a head start on Mother Nature, but like the old commercial, we found out, "It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!" Once again she outfoxed us, and instead of a bountiful, verdant garden, most of us have been left with withered plants and high water bills. One of our patrons checked out some gardening books yesterday, and when I commented on his choices, he remarked that he’d just torn out what was left of his garden. He then smiled at me and said, "But I figure I’m going to sit down and study, and get ready for next year!"

As I arranged hoses for watering last night, I found myself thinking about that gentleman. Unlike him, I’m not ready to give up on this year’s garden. I’m still a believer. If we can just get a little rain and some good luck, I may yet have enough tomatoes to can. If not, I’ll enjoy what I can nurse out of the patch, and start reading. After all, there are only 209 days left until Spring!

If you want to get a head start on next year’s garden, MCPL recommends the following books:

• The 12-Month Gardener: Simple Strategies for Extending Your Growing Season
• Week by Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook: Perfectly Timed Gardening for Your Most Bountiful Harvest Ever
• Square Foot Gardening
• The Big Book of Gardening Skills
• Jerry Baker’s Gardening Wisdom
• The Story of Gardening
• The Green Guide to Herb Gardening: Featuring the 10 Most Popular Herbs
• Kids Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out
• The Gardener’s Guide to Better Soil
• The Art of French Vegetable Gardening
• You Bet Your Tomatoes: How to Grow Great Tasting Tomatoes in Your Own Backyard or Garden
• The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
• The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening
• Drip Irrigation for Every Landscape and All Climates: Helping Your Garden Flourish While Conserving Water
•  Irrigation in Field and Garden
• Sunset: Sprinklers and Drip Systems
• Create an Oasis with Greywater: Choosing, Building and Using Greywater Systems: Includes Branched Drains 
•  Down and Dirty: 43 Fun and Funky First-Time Projects and Activities to Get You Gardening
• How to Shovel Manure and Other Life Lessons for the Country Woman

Jan C.
North Independence Branch