Okay, so the groundhog
saw his shadow. Even if he hadn't, let's face it, most of the
Northern Hemisphere would be mired in winter for weeks to come.
We gardeners take the news hard because we're especially sensitive
to short days and black-and-white landscapes.
Of course, we know
spring is just around the corner, the signs are there: snowdrops
emerging from the snow crust, swelling buds of forsythia, red
and yellow stems osier dogwood, even the smell in the air. Outdoor
gardening activities are still limited and the rays of sunshine,
as weak as a kitten.
My favorite diversion
for this time of year is going to flower shows. They're sprinkled
through February and March. Of the two in the Northeast, my favorite
is Philadelphia. One time I have a vivid recollection of descending
the escalator and being aware of the hall, heavy with fragrance
and the colors of spring. A short drive away is Longwood Gardens
(another chance to immerse oneself, this time in a giant glass
house of flowering plants) and Kennett Square, which is Andrew
Wyeth territory as well as the mushroom capital of the world.
Of course, the quintessential
show is said to be the Chelsea Flower Show in London, which runs
May 22-25 this year. It's on my calendar for 2002. Here're the
dates for a few of the major shows: Atlanta, February 21-25; Seattle,
February 7-11; Boston, March 17-25; and Philadelphia, March 4-11.
To view where and when the shows are scheduled, check the Garden
Calendar website.
Conservatories such
as Longwood Gardens are great places to escape winter. The sun
pours in and you can breathe in the smells and sights of plants.
One of my refuges was the Orangerie, a glass room devoted to citrus,
at the New York Botanical Garden's Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
You can just imagine how heavenly it smells in February when all
the orange and grapefruit trees are in flower.
Another remedy to speed
up the coming of spring is to immerse yourself in the pages of
garden catalogs. Pages that flip back and forth, dog-ear or flag
are generally more satisfying than an Internet search. However,
if you haven't received all the ones you want at this late date,
About.com makes it easy to order by linking directly to the catalog-request
form for a large number of nurseries. Consult
the Backyardgardener.com site, which links to additional sites
for catalog requests . The ones I consider essential to have on
hand are Burpee, Wayside, White Flower Farm, Bluestone, Seeds
of Change, and Thompson & Morgan. A new favorite is Pinetree Garden
Seeds, which caters to gardeners who don't need a bushel of seed.
Its smaller seed packets also cost less.
You can kick-start
the gardening season by starting seeds indoors. Once the soil
has warmed, a number of seeds can be sown in the garden--an almost-no-work
method. With many vegetables, flowers and herbs you'll want--and
need--to get a jump on the typical U.S. growing season by buying
plants at nurseries or pre-starting the plants indoors a few weeks
before it's time to set them outdoors.
To a beginner, starting
seeds indoors may seem intimidating, but you'll be surprised at
how easy it really is. My brother-in-law showed me how to do it
many years ago. He'd picked up the few things we needed ahead
of time: seed-starting mix, containers with drainage, a tray without
drainage, plastic labels and, of course, seeds.
Later I learned you
can make it as complicated as you want--fussing with temperature,
heating mats, grow lights with timers, and seed that requires
refrigeration, soaking, scarring, etc. It's best to keep it simple
at first. If you consider the cost of the seed, you've very little
to lose and a great deal to gain.
There's no shortage
of web sites that tell you how to do it; I liked the information
at shepard seeds.com, about.com, and greendealer.com. The hands-down
easiest-way to learn is by doing it with someone who knows how.
Ask a friendly gardener to let you assist the next time they start
seed. My quick and dirty method is as follows:
- Fill containers with seed-starting mix.
- Fill tray with water and place containers in it.
- Add water to the tray until the soil becomes saturated (this
may take a few minutes); dump any remaining water.
- Place seed in the soil according to the recommended depth
and spacing on the packet. If these are seeds you've collected
and/or no instructions are available, try planting the depth
of the diameter of the seed.
- Mist the surface lightly.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Place in warm location and keep a close eye on it. Keeping
the soil temperature warm is critical to germination; buy
a heating mat if there's any doubt. Don't worry about the
light until germination; it's not needed for most seeds, but
read the instructions on the seed packet.
- Check daily to monitor moisture level. Inspect by removing
the plastic wrap to make sure the surface isn't getting moldy.
Keep the soil mix moist but not wet and always water from
the bottom. The drainage of water is very important because
soil that is too damp will either cause the seeds to rot or
will allow the growth of mold, fungus and other diseases.
When seedlings appear, discard the plastic wrap and move to
a bright location. If seedlings become tall, thin, and desperately
growing toward the light, move the seed bed closer to a light
source.
- Thin seedlings as needed by using a small scissors to snip
the extra seedlings.
- After the seedlings have 2 to 3 true leaves, fertilize weekly
with a weak solution of fertilizer.
- Before planting the seedling outdoors, harden them off by
placing them in full sun for several hours a day. If you've
used small packs of cells for your planting containers, you'll
need to transplant them when they have a second pair of true
leaves to a larger or individual pot.
It's also a good idea
to start with no-fuss seeds like cosmos, gazania, nicotania, marigold,
sunflower, and tomato. The Thompson & Morgan seed catalog--the
granddaddy of seed companies--codes each plant to indicate ease
of germination and ease of aftercare. Its catalog is much sought
after and an excellent reference (www.thompson-morgan.com).
When starting seeds,
timing is important, too. Consider the number of days germination
takes (on the back of the seed packet), and add three or four
weeks to this (long enough for the seedlings to form a second
pair of true leaves). Then back up from your area's frost-free
date.
Good luck and happy
growing.
Websites connected
with February Garden Edition:
Chelsea
Garden Show
Philadelphia
Garden Show
Longwood
Gardens
The
Garden Calendar
Enid
Haupt Conservatory
About.com
Gardening Catalogs
BackyardGardener
Pinetree
Garden Seeds
Shepherd
Seeds
Greendealer
Thompson-Morgan
