Our gardens are waking up early this year. Some of our plants probably never even went to sleep. Strolling among my daffodils on a balmy February morning is a kind of perplexing pleasure. I love seeing old friends peeking out from the dirt. The Forsythia blooms assure me it is okay to prune the roses but I can’t help but worry that it is too early to fertilize. The unpredictable weather we’ve had these past few seasons has made me nervous.
Seeking solace and assurance that nature knows better than me, I turned to Richardson Wright’s The Gardener’s Bed Book.
First published in 1929, it is a classic garden text full of humorous anecdotes and pithy advice. On the days right around now, Wright offers the following instruction:
Feb 20: “You might consider, at this season, a more extensive and adequate watering system for your garden.” I honestly feel like he was somehow directing this at me. By the end of the summer last year I was throwing my hands to the sky and begging the heavens for help with watering.
Feb 26: “See that potting soil bins are full and orders for fertilizer are placed.”
March 2: “Tomorrow may be a good day for taking the winter boards off your Boxwood.” Okay, I only did this a week early. Never mind that there was no need to protect boxwoods this winter.
Today I will try to let go of worries about blooms that might be lost if we get a hard freeze after so much has leafed out. Instead I will be grateful for the sun and blooms we have today.
Garden season 2017- welcome!
It might be tempting to rush out and do this, but let’s all try to resist that urge for a few more weeks. The garden husband gets grumpy when he has even more plants to cover during a late cold snap.
