The Imperfect Gardener

by Adina Sara

Spring Fever

It seems that the longer and wetter the winter, the harder spring fever hits. I contracted a virulent strain after the last heavy storm finally passed, and it's got me in its muddy grip. If you are not sure what spring fever is, here are some of the common symptoms:

You walk outside in clean clothes and good shoes, notice some dead leaves in the path. Next thing you know, you're down on hands and knees, fingers covered with dirt, the knees of your good pants are muddied (possibly permanently), and your good shoes have just been demoted to gardening shoes. And you don't care.

You go to the nursery to replace a lost trowel, and next thing you know, your shopping basket is overflowing with plants you don't recognize, you don't need, and don't have a place for.

The sun's gone down, you've been out there for hours, and it's really time to put the tools away. But you notice there's a broken twig on the old, gnarly lavender, and next thing you know, you've dug the whole thing up, and although it's become too dark to see, you are still looking around for something to dig up and put in its place.

There really is no cure for spring fever, and those of us who suffer from it can take comfort in knowing that come summer, when everything has been planted and turned and decided, it will subside of its own accord.

To Plan or Not to Plan

There are probably more opinions about vegetable gardening than there are varieties of vegetables. I was once advised to plant a tomato every few weeks to get successive crops, but was recently informed that it doesn't matter. Tomatoes keep producing as long as you keep picking them. Lettuce, string beans, and peas, however, do have prolonged harvests when planted a few at a time.

So far I have planted two Stupice tomatoes, a variety highly recommended for its sweetness and yield. I usually don't plant cherry tomatoes just because you get so many of them. But I selected the orange Sun Gold this year, having heard rave reviews.

It is worth purchasing vegetable seedlings at nurseries with knowledgeable employees; do not be afraid to ask about the different varieties. Some sprawl, some need to be staked. Some do best as canned vegetables, some prefer less heat. There are early and late varieties, and bigger is not always tastier. If you have limited space, selecting the right variety is all the more important. Don't forget to add chicken manure, bone meal, and blood meal to the soil.

I've never met a sugar snap pea I didn't like. They never make it to the kitchen, but get eaten gradually and completely while I'm watering or doing other garden chores. There were years when all I got was a couple of lousy brussels sprouts, the bugs having got the rest. But the sprouts were delicious and worth the effort.

Tomatoes, onions, chard, lettuce, beans and squash are all easy to grow successfully. Carrots and beets take a little more work they must be grown from seed, and the seedling process, from watering to thinning, requires a more meticulous eye. I have yet to try potatoes. They take up a lot of space, but the small purple variety is supposedly worth every inch.

There are those who make elaborate diagrams, planning out their vegetable gardens like architects, labeling the variety and date planted on a clean sheet of paper for future reference.This is a great way to learn (if you can remember where you put the list come next spring) which varieties were delicious and bountiful and which varieties were bug-worthy. And there are others who can barely stop themselves from buying every new variety they see and planting them all at once. Blame it on spring fever.

Whether you are an impulsive gardener or have next year's crop completely planned out, do try to remember to change into garden clothes before you go out there and get mud on your knees.

Gardening Exchange

Anyone want a brugmansia (white herald's trumpet)? Yours for the taking in a five-gallon pot just e-mail cavens\@littlepig.com and arrange to pick it up.

Another Metro gardener, rosegallagher\@aol.com, is looking for orange clivia and has purple king bearded iris to give away.

Janapeace\@hotmail.com has extra mysotis (butterfly plants) and is hoping to exchange it for some good topsoil.

Get to know your gardening neighbors by sharing your plants. E-mail Imperfectgardens\@comcast.net, and your offers and requests will be shared with other Metro gardeners.