Can you believe it? The first day of spring is just eight weeks from today.¹ Are you ready?
Of course spring arrives whether we’re ready or not, but if you’re planning a garden it’s nice to be prepared. If you’ve been gardening for a while, you’ll have learned plenty of lessons from past seasons. I sure have. In my experience, no two years are alike. Once you’ve sorted out soil, amendments and irrigation, you can start planning the fun stuff.
Cosmos
A garden can encompass an acre plot or a few pots in a sunny corner of a patio or deck. I’ve figured out ways to garden most of my life, regardless of circumstance. I once planted corn in a skinny strip of dirt next to an otherwise barren lot in a rented house. I’ve grown herbs in a sheltered porch. Many years ago, single and renting a small space, my mom gave me a hundred dollars for my birthday. I used it to buy several bags of soil and some seeds and created a flower garden outside my front door. My neighbors enjoyed it too. The best gardens are shared.
Sunflower
A sunny kitchen window or a humid bathroom counter are great indoor garden spots. You needn’t have a lot of money to start your own. Ask friends for seeds and cuttings. Many plants need dividing every few years. Ask your friends if you can help them divide plants, then take home some of the splits. It’s another opportunity to bring plants into your domain. Check out Freecyle in your community, and post wanted ads for old tools, pots, and the like. My neighbor planted tomatoes in an old cat litter container. Let your imagination be your guide.
Are you planning a garden this year? What will you grow?
Tomato and Basil
¹I’m writing from the Northern Hemisphere. If you live south of the equator, of course, fall days are just around the corner.
Gardening Nirvana 
I’m not surprised that you would use birthday money to by soil :D, that made me laugh and sigh at the same time (is that possible?). That’s whats so lovely about you Alys, you are down to earth and a true lover of the earth. It’s so funny that you say “the best gardens are shared”. 25 years ago I wrote a letter to ‘Country Gardens’ magazine when they asked people what they like best about gardening. Surprise, they published my reply which was ‘sharing’. Sharing plants, ideas or books with friends and neighbours. They did misspell my name and posted it as Keely Reed (my ex was Reid), but I was still thrilled. Gardens bring people together, even if they don’t do one of their own, it’s always a place to enjoy good company. Happy ‘almost’ spring day my friend. xoK
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PS those lavender Cosmos are ‘to-die-for’ !
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🙂
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I can’t wait for spring and sunshine. Well,I hope we will get a good lot of sunshine this year but with our weather you never know! Lots of tomato plants are a definite as are chilli peppers. I might try sweet peppers too this year and give the aubergines and sweetcorn another go. I’ve yet to look through the seed collection to decide on any more. Happy planning!
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Oh those seed catalogs are so tempting. You can get a little crazy with so many choices.
I tried peppers on year but didn’t have much success. They fruited very late and only one or two developed. Maybe I should give them another go as well.
Do you like to cook with aubergines?
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Hi, I cook with aubergines every week, mainly in a Spanish ‘eascalibada’ roasting them with red peppers, onions and tinned anchovies. I’ve cooked the, sliced thinly on a griddle but just in the summertime on the BBQ. I hope they fruit this year…
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I hope they fruit for you, too. You sound like an impressive cook.
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Alas! I gave up on growing tomatoes here because the squirrels get them all. We’ve tried everything! Even one of those upside down tomato planter thingies – they must have sailed through the air and grabbed them on the way down because I don’t think they could have climbed up a thin shepherd’s hook?? Any ideas? That photo of the tomatoes was mouth-watering.
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Squirrels are amazingly resourceful, aren’t they? For some reason, the squirrels here leave our tomatoes alone. They go after the pumpkins, pumpkin leaves, small seedlings, sunflower seeds and berries, but they leave the tomatoes alone.
One thought: start offering something better (like peanuts in the shell) to divert them away from your prize tomatoes. Another idea is to get heavy duty sire cages that allow you to cover the plants, but sill let in sun. Best of luck!
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