And so, it begins again. Another gardening season is upon us and it is time to get off our proverbial butts and venture out into the cold abyss of our gardens to start the ritual of gardening once again. Up to this point I have to admit that I have been dragging my feet, but there is no turning back now. The reality is that in a few more days it will be the Spring Equinox, which is the date at which time the daylight hours become longer than the nighttime hours. Add to this blessed event the fact that we are now back on daylight saving time (is this actually going to be the last year we switch back and forth? I’m not holding my breath) and I think it is safe to say that even the most fair-weather gardener will find it hard to resist the urge to get their hands dirty. Spring has sprung!
For some of us, getting back into the gardening mode is a 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds experience. We jump in with the pedal to the metal (or should I say the “petal” to the metal) and never look back. At the first sunny weekend we try and get ‘caught up’ by raking, digging, fertilizing, pruning, planting, thatching and whatever else is on our to do list, not thinking of course that we have been couch potatoes for the last 4 months. Please, pace yourself so you don’t spend the rest of the month in traction or addicted to pain killers.
For me, getting into the new season usually means working up the raised veggie beds by tilling in fertilizer and compost. (There is little to no weeding to do in my beds because I spread an inch of compost over the top of the soil last fall and smothered any weed seeds). Once everything is all fluffed up it’s off to the garden center to buy some seeds and transplants.
I realize that a lot of gardeners don’t mess with a cool season vegetable garden and simply wait until they can plant their tomatoes, peppers, beans, and cukes. Personally, I can’t stand to see the soil lay fallow for that long so I will plant a half dozen broccoli plants, sow some peas, maybe try some shallots or leeks, and of course spinach. Potatoes are also loads of fun if you have the room and are the sweetest if you harvest them early as “new potatoes”. Essentially, all root crops need to be planted when it is cool.
The cool season is also the best time to plant leafy crops like lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale, swiss chard, romaine, and cabbage. Also, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and kohlrabi can be planted now too.
The best part about planting cool season veggies is that you can grow varieties that are not in the grocery store. For some cheap entertainment, spend some time at the garden center looking over their seed racks. You will find goodies like the Mantanghong watermelon radish that grows up to one pound with white skin and pink flesh. There is also purple broccoli, golden beets, rainbow carrots, or even green Romanesco cauliflower. This is the fun part of gardening for me.
While you are planting your frost tolerant veggies, be sure to add some frost tolerant annuals, like Calendulas, Stocks, Snapdragons, Pansies, Primroses, and Sweet Alyssum. These not only dress up the beds, but they also help repel insects too.
Whether flowers or veggies, start with the frost tolerant stuff - there is no need to wait to plant until it is warm enough for tomatoes (there will be plenty of time for that). Be assured, if it is out on the benches in the garden center, it is safe to plant!
