Story of a Gardener . . .

Yesterday after visiting the Farmer’s Daughter and learning about her new garden page, inspiration gave me another kick of motivation.  I really need to do something about my garden.  As a beginner gardener, who apparently has farming in her blood (on my mother’s side, my great grandparents owned a farm during the Depression up until after WWII, upon which time, my great grandmother, who liked the “finer” things in life, insisted on moving her family to the city so they could be “civilized.” On my natural father’s side, my uncle chose farming as his vocation and has long owned a farm in Amish country.  Last I heard, he and my aunt commute into D.C. every week from May to November to sell produce and other items at the Dept. of Energy’s farmer’s market).  Anyway, I digress . . . what I’m getting at is that I’m related to many individuals who have managed to garden, grow, and do it well.  While my relatives and their abilities may have squat to do with what I can do, I personally enjoy working in the dirt, planting, tending, and nurturing a garden.  It’s just that from time to time, I have been known to kill a plant or two, leave some to fend for themselves, and I’ve even failed my seeds (this happened recently when I planted pea and lettuce seeds in early March, 2 days before a major snowstorm).

Now, if you are interested in gardening and perhaps already are a master gardener, you may read the above paragraph and run away screaming from my site.  For you, there’s probably little to learn from beginner-gardener-me and my gardening troubles adventures.  But for the rest of you, who know a little bit about gardening but who want to learn more, I think you might want to stick around.  Over the next 6 months, I plan to show you what I am growing, what I wish I could grow (more on that later), and what my 2 year old can grow (I bet you she’ll outgrow her old mom).  I will tell you God’s honest truth about my garden, and hopefully, you and I, together, will get to see quite a bit thrive, bloom, and bear fruit (think strawberries).

But to get started on my journey as a gardener, I am starting from scratch.  Last year I did manage to maintain a raised bed vegetable garden, a shaded flower garden, and a container herb garden.  This year though, I am going to note what plants were perrenials (and look like they might come back), and which ones weren’t (there are some dried stalks and leaves from last season still hanging out among this year’s budding green), and I am going to read up on what needs better spacing for the coming year (for example, I planted several  large hostas in my shade garden and now that I think about it, they’re all rather close together and may benefit from some breathing room).  Still, the reason I say that I am starting from scratch is that I plan to move things around (sun, water, and aesthetic reasons), try different plant groupings (for easy care and aesthetics), and do all of it with Mother Earth in mind (organic gardens with native plants make for easy and natural maintenance that this amateur prefers).

To get organized, I picked up a nifty little gardening journal for $3 at one of my favorite craft stores (it’s the one that sounds like a guy’s name).  Inside the journal are sections divided into: calendar (to note what you planted when, what’s growing etc.), planting grids (for mapping out your garden plan), garden notes (the journal aspect of the notebook, which allows you to make daily notes about your gardens’ condition), photos, and more notes (something like a wish list segment).  Next I got on the google and searched “townhouse gardening” and “city gardening” because even though we think we live in a suburban townhouse, our community is actually a city masquerading as the great outdoors (an edge community).  Anyhoo, we have little square footage available for gardening.

From google, I found the following resources to be abundantly helpful:

Multi-functional Townhouse Garden Design Plan

from the Gardener’s Escape

“Herb Gardens”

by the Gardener’s Escape

“Building Your Dream Garden On a Budget”

by the Gardener’s Escape

“How to Use Hardiness Zone Information”

by Better Homes and Gardens

“Gardening by Region”

by Better Homes and Gardens

Just for the record, I receive no affiliate benefits or sponsorship from neither The Gardener’s Escape nor Better Homes and Gardens.  I simply like the articles that I’ve noted above.

After reading through these articles, I made several notes about what stood out as good gardening advice (in my beginner eyes anyway).  The Gardener’s Escape is full of simple and wise ideas on gardening.  A few tips there that you might like:
1.    Build your garden one item at a time.  Take your time. (I know that my husband will appreciate this bit of wisdom, especially since purchasing gardening supplies can be pricey).

2.    Start small with few essentials.  Seating. Small plants.  (I like to purchase my herb and vegetable garden plants from our local farmers’ markets.  Last year we planted 3 varieties of tomatoes, 3 varieties of peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, 2 varieties of parsley, basil, and thyme.  This year, I will probably keep it simple and grow just one variety).

3.    Window shop. Comparison shop.  Visit many different stores and note pricing. (Again, I know that my hubby will appreciate this bit of advice.  Plus, it will give me the excuse to tote my camera, take lots of pictures, share them here as part of my wish list posts, and will really let me think about what I want to plant).

4.    Get to know clerk at gardening center.  They know the healthiest plants and upcoming sales. (Just 2 weeks ago I visited our gardening center at 10 a.m. and spnet a half hour talking with the 2 clerks on the early shift.  Not only were they willing to talk, but they were encouraging too . . . I need that since I really have no idea what I’m doing).

5.    Be creative with containers.  Collect old barrels, tubs, boots, vases, etc.  Make sure the container is large enough for plants’ roots to spread out.  (I’m not sure about boots, but I have no problem picking up containers left on the side of the road that say “FREE.”  I also love that relatives who know that I like to garden will bring me a container now and again).

6.    Join a garden club.  Learn.  Share plants with other gardeners. (I may do this one this year.  I think that the idea of belonging to a club that would have me for a member just really frightens me, just kidding.  Honestly, being among master gardeners is a bit intimidating, but nonetheless, I have a feeling it would be quite valuable).

7.    Buy plants not in bloom.  They’ll endure transplants better. (I never would have known! Great that I do now.)

8.    Water plants in the morning or evening. Never at midday. (knew that one)

9.    Mulch.  Absorbs water, prevents weed growth. (Yes! I knew that one too.)

10.   Triple-mix soil: top soil, compost, peet moss.  (OKay, I’d like feedback on this one from other gardeners).

11.    Buy only a few plants at a time.  Allow plants to take root and grow and spread. (I will definitely heed this advice.)

After reading through these tips, I learned which hardiness zone Northern Virginia belongs to (zone 7) and that our last frost is sometime between April 1 and May 1 (no wonder my peas and spinach didn’t sprout some 3 weeks ago).  I then surveyed Better Homes and Gardens native plants section for zone 7 and made a wish list for what I’d like to plant this year.

Next step?  Visiting gardens, garden centers, and farmers’ markets.  I may also try to grow seedlings in small cups indoors (this is a great kids’ project too) before transplanting them outside (maybe that will improve their chances for thriving).  Don’t worry.  I will be sure to share all of the details here . . . and if gardening bores you, I apologize.  I guess you’ll just have to check back in for those days when I write about toddlers, pregnancy, breastfeeding, photography, and living it the green way.

For now, here is one plant that did well in last year’s garden, my beautiful and thirsty hydrangea.