Is gardening like cheesecake?
Posted on April 2nd, 2009 – 7:03 AMBy Robyn Dochterman
Oogy outside? Snow, sleet, thunderstorms? I know. I’m so with you. But I dare you to savor this moment. Really.
There is no sweat running in your eyes. There are no mosquitoes gnawing your bare legs. The rabbits have not dashed your hopes by devouring your peas. In this slightly pre-Spring moment, absolutely everything gardening-related is possible.
Culinary folks like to say “you eat with your eyes.” I think for us gardeners, we grow with our imaginations. Close your eyes and imagine the taste of a ripe strawberry. Imagine the sweet smell of heliotrope in the evening breeze. Imagine wanting to touch the velvety inside of a morning glory.
Seed catalog folks know I’m a sucker for all this imagination. They’ve told garden centers and farmer’s markets and I’m pretty sure there are big billboards up everywhere announcing I dream big and have zero impulse control. And you know what I say to all that? Bring it! I plan to revel in all this possibility!
The guests in our extra bedroom this time of year are seedlings. Trays and trays of them. Last week, I moved in an apricot tree I’m trying to graft. And the box of button mushrooms I hope will grow. Today, the mail carrier will deliver fertilized chicken eggs that I’m going to put in the incubator — also in residence in the guestroom. Ah, new life!
My imagination will surely prove to be bigger than the time I have available to garden. By August, I bet I’ll be shaking my head at how I bit off more than I could chew.
Are you with me? Is gardening like cheesecake, and anticipating it is half the fun? Or is all this possibility just a bit daunting? There’s room for all types, so don’t be shy. What kind of gardener are you?
25 Responses to "Is gardening like cheesecake?"
Right now, I’m an impatient gardener! I want to plant SOMETHING, but it’s too cold even for pansies.
While, I love to plan all winter long, looking through books, making diagrams and deciding where to plant only goes so far with me.
I really need to get my hands dirty gardening. Right now, I am holding my breath that the weather will finally change.
I know that it has too eventually. Right?
Connie and Mike, I think there’s some law of physics that says the more you want something, the longer it will take to occur. And if what you want to do is garden, it will take twice as long!
But yes, it’s only a matter of time — and not much more time — until we’re all set free to dig and plant.
First, a response to Marie at Meadows Inn about her privet question in yesterday’s post: it grows really fast. We used to have some around our small patio, and I remember having to prune it about 3 times per season to keep it in check. Due to limited space and high maintenance, we had it pulled out a number of years ago. (btw, I’m coming back to your B and B first weekend in June! Can’t wait!)
Anticipating the garden is one of the joys. I love Robin’s observation that right now, everything is perfect in my mind’s eye. I’ve put short things in front of tall, remembered to water, staked the tomatoes, and weeded all the grass the _I swear_ grew over the winter in one of my beds. It’s really lovely out there.
[…] Greengirls – […]
Forget about gardening.
The Democrats, with HR 875 and HR 759, will be creating a glorious new Monsanto farming collective, which will kill the small farmer/rancher, private gardens, farmers markets and roadside stands.
Don’t fret, Comrades! It’s all for your own safety, dontcha know…
The End of Small Farms? What you should know about HR 875, HR 759, NAIS and Monsanto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGZL6q-3LOw
More from proud progressive Linn Cohen-Cole:
http://www.opednews.com/author/author10919.html
The garden is a blank canvas now, and who doesn’t love that? However I am regretting my winter laziness and hope the garden centers can bail me out with good seedlings next month…actually one of my favorite parts of gardening is browsing garden centers and nurseries for ideas - and smells, colors, and smiles. Did you ever notice that everyone is happy and friendly at a garden center??
@Gone Gulchin, I understand your concern for the future of gardening. I also know there has been a lot of fear and misinformation about these bills, their intent, and what the wording actually says. Let’s leave the finger-pointing to the politics page and dish some dirt here. What are your plans for gardening this year?
@Chris H, It’s true. People are happy at garden centers. I used to work at one years ago, and I never minded going to work! What seedlings will you be looking for?
I’m in Robyn’s camp; right now the garden plan sketched and re-sketched over the winter is near perfection.
Unfortunately, all it takes is one sunny warm day at the nursery for me to go on ‘impulse buy’ autopilot. No doubt I’ll spend most of my time trying to squeeze in one more bearded iris, because it has the most beautiful blue striping, or one more coneflower, because I’m envious of my neighbor’s ‘white swan’ with the yellow pincushiony middle.
Half the fun is digging up, moving around, and planting new right? Good thing my sketch is in pencil.
@Megan, that’s why they are called rough drafts, isn’t it?
My husband has the basement a flame with florescent lights and all the seedlings popping up he calls “his kids”. Seed packets marked plant this day or start in May all to have fun and save money only to have the electric bill going sky high. I hope he has no problem with the purchases I make for the beds this year.I started some Pampus grass last year…kept it where the ground doesn’t freeze on the south side of the house covered in a foot of hay and a foot of snow. I’m keeping my fingers crossed even though it’s a zone 6 plant.
I can’t wait for spring, but I am kind of tentative too! We just bought our first house and I have tons of perennials to take care of. I have had bad luck in the past so I have been fretting over keeping everything alive… Wish me luck and green living things that flower!
The rabbits got an early start to dashing my hopes. Two very small shrubs were “pruned” hard by the bunnies over winter.
If they survive, I promise to protect them with chicken wire next winter.
Right now I’m wondering what in the world the flower companies are thinking! I’ve got a ton of stuff on order at Michigan Bulb (including a tangerine tree — don’t ask), and supposedly it’s going to be here around the 13th. Good thing it’s all dormant.
I love gardening, and I sketched out a wonderful garden idea over the winter. Now I’m looking at the work that needs to be done and sort of hesitating. It’s a wonderful picture in my mind, but translating it into reality is slightly frightening!
I just looked at the 15-day forecast and April 13 should be in the 50s. Not that they are very accurate that far out. And not exactly tangerine tree weather. But better than this (a little).
I once received bare root raspberries when the ground was still frozen, so now I request a ship date that feels safer to me. But Carly, you’re right that translating the pictures in one’s mind can be slightly frightening, especially when ordered plants start arriving.
Oh, Peter, I feel your pain about the bunnies. I went out to look at my front bed with two new weigela in it and could barely find the shrubs — just a couple of gnawed off stubs. I saw two rabbits in my yard recently–big ones, and I know why they look so healthy.
Peter and Mary–an azalea suffered the pruning of rabbits last winter. So last fall I put chicken wire around it and a new tree peony. It worked–no damage this winter, and took just minutes to do!
i’ve ordered all my seeds, but i still dont have my garden layout planned. is there any software out there that help plan vegetable garden layouts?
also i’d be very interested to see pictures of peoples different grow light set-ups. mine is homemade from scrap wood from my dads garage.
gone gulchin - please read more about hr 875 on http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/organic.asp (scroll halfway down to pass over copies emails being sent around and get to the true/false section) - snopes is a website that explains the facts behind rumors, and should clarify some of your misinformation. while i’m not excited about this piece of legislature, there is no language in this bill that would regulate, penalize, or shut down backyard gardens. there is no language in this bill that would stop or interfere with organic gardening.
Laura, I decided to make my own growlight set-up a few years back after pricing what was available commercially. I made mine of 2 x 4s and carriage bolts, and have three shelves for seeds. Each shelf is lit by a HomeDepot shop light with a warm and cool fluorescent light. Do you have a pic of yours?
Perennials Rule, 4 Dwarf apple trees (8 varieties),3 Dwarf Pears (one won 3rd in MN Fair), 2 Walnuts, adding a 6-on-1 Plum/Apricot this year, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. For annual I’ve ordered (7 tomato, 7 Pepper) plant sets for Mid-May Delivery, from seed: Zucchini, Winter Squash, Asparagus Beans, Peas, and Basil to plant with tomatoes. Tomato and pepper varieties are each ’specialty’ varieties, that might not be in stores or would cost a premium if they did. Dehydrator helps with the fall fruit.
Oh, yes - to discourage rabbits the HOT peppers are on outer edges (Thai, Hablano, cayenne, etc.). They usually take one nibble then conclude that anything looking like a pepper is not tasty. Chicken wire is the only defense for Beans and Peas also Berries). Marigolds are supposed to repel Rabbits, but that just means they don’t eat marigolds…they don’t run away either.
robyn, here is a picture of my grow light setup. it takes over my kitchen table for a few months and limits me to just one light. i’d love to build a free standing unit that i could have multiple lights on.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10/yesididit/plants/3-25-08048.jpg
Greengirls Connie Nelson, Robyn Dochterman and Jaime Chismar are dishin' the dirt from the backyard garden and beyond. Whether you're a greenthumb or greenhorn, they're eager to learn from your misshaps, mistakes -- and most importantly, your sweet successes -- all growing season long.
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