After a tour of our snowy yard, I tried to picture how the garden looked last year at this time. If you recall, we had hardly any snow, and it truly did seem like spring! Not this year! But the other day, we got a very special garden treat: some dear friends gave us some soft, silky beautiful pussy willow branches! In the midst of all this snow, it seemed like a miracle! But our friend told us how he brought the branches indoors, put them in some water, and they burst forth in all their beauty! He gave us some branches, too; following his instructions, I put them in water, and by the next day, the seemingly lifeless buds on the branches had begun to open, revealing just a little of the soft gray surprise inside. And the fragrance! The woodsy scent of willow branches made me think of spring; truly, it must be coming!
After that wonderful dose of inspiration and kindness from our sweet friends, I felt rejuvenated about the garden again! Just for fun, I logged on the to the Almanac
(www.almanac.com), and found an article entitled "Vegetable Garden Planning for Beginners". When I realized that it's been going on seven months since we were out in the garden, it made me feel like I needed a refresher course, so I read on! It's a great little article, with some points that are beneficial to keep in mind, even for the most seasoned gardener!
One point mentioned was that a common mistake made was planting too early and too much. Considering the year we are having, I'm sure all of us will be out there the first chance we get, even if it is early! Who can blame us? As for planting too much, well, there are always people to share garden produce with: so if you have the space and the ambition, plant away!
The article mentioned that our garden space needs at least six hours of sun a day, and to maximize the sun's rays, we should plant our rows from north to south. If soil is poor or if you have health issues such as back trouble, the article suggested using raised beds. (I would suggest taking this one step further: if space is limited and/or you have health issues, you can plant your "garden" in pots. Tomatoes, bush-type cucumbers, peppers, onions, and lettuce can readily grow in pots.)
There was also a complete list of vegetables to plant, and the article said that a plot ten feet by sixteen feet could feed a family of four for the summer, plus have a little left over to share or freeze. That's a lot of veggie power packed in a small space!
Your garden space is really a personal choice for plants, isn't it. If your favorite thing is making tomato sauce and salsa, maybe your focus will be tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Or maybe you like nothing better than a heaping helping of mashed potatoes on your dinner plate: potatoes might be all you want to plant. Maybe you're more into salad greens. Whatever your choice, the thing to remember is that the garden has so many benefits, not only for feeding us, but for giving us healthful exercise, fresh air, a chance to appreciate nature, and a chance to care for the earth. So if you have some garden space, use it and enjoy it!
The next meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be on Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 PM in the Sunshine Room at SIGN on North Street. Our special guest will be Frank Woloschuk, talking to us about "Planning A Perennial Bed". Frank is an amazing gardener, and I know he will have many great ideas and pointers for us, whether our perennial bed is just a tiny patch in our garden or a long, sweeping bed! That's Thursday, April 18.
Have a great week, and keep the faith that spring is coming!
