Showing posts with label master gardeners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label master gardeners. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Are You Fooling? It's April!

"Hail April, the Medea of the year,
That makest all things young and fresh appear."
R. Chambers, The Book of Days, 1866

It's the first day of April. Each day, spring grows stronger in its fight against winter. And our gardens start to look especially lovely after months of gray, dreary days.

The colorful bulb garden (above) belongs to my neighbors, Elaine and Pat McCoy. Stroll around their suburban garden and you can tell Elaine was trained as a master gardener in Idaho. The soil is amended each year with well-aged cow manure, and they are meticulous about cleaning up debris that might have overwintered pests and pathogens.

The effort shows in the McCoy's thriving gardens. I shot this picture last year around mid-April. Wait until you see how lovely their vegetable garden will look in a few months. These two are experts at growing loads of edibles in a small amount of space. Most of which they started from seeds.

And I'm not fooling! Even though today is called "All Fool's Day."

Incidentally, is it stormy where you are? That's not a bad thing, according to this old proverb:

"If it thunders on All Fools' Day
it brings good crops of corn and hay."

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

17th Century Garden Tips for March

"In March, the Moon being new, sow Garlic, Chervil, Marjoram, white Poppy, double Marigolds, Thyme and Violets. At the full Moon, Chicory, Fennel and Apples of Love. At the wane, Artichokes, Basil, Cucumbers, Spinach, Gillyflowers, Cabbage, Lettuce, Burnets, Leeks and Savory."

Gervase Markham, The English Housewife, 1683

Keep in mind this advice was written for seventeenth-century England. To learn the proper dates to plant herbs, vegetables and flowers in your garden, contact your local nursery, Cooperative Extension service or Master Gardeners.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Regional Spring Chores


Say "spring" to gardeners in Southern California and it means something completely different than to gardeners in Vermont. That's why it pays to focus on what applies to your particular growing zone.

Here's what these regional experts say are the most important gardening chores in spring:

Northeast
South
Midwest
West