4 minute read
Hindsight from 2020
of winter takes a toll on my mental health, and preparing for my next garden brings light to an otherwise dim time of year.
As winter bears down, we still face unknowns. But unlike 2020, we have the hindsight to understand the importance of preparation. Though none of us want to see the insecurity of our food supply as we saw in the spring of 2020, it’s also naive to assume it can’t happen again -- or worse.
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At worst, we need home gardens to help buffer any food supply shortages that may occur. At best, we need home gardens to bolster our mental and physical health. There’s simply no downside to taking these dark days (literally and figuratively) and beginning to plan our gardens for 2021. Here are some ways to get started.
List the vegetables, fruit, and herbs your family regularly eats. Then, research which ones you could reasonably grow in the space you have.
Don’t forget the flowers. More than any other year, the flowers and herbs I grew in 2020 brought life and joy to a hard year. Some flowers, such as calendula, echinacea, and nasturtium provide medicinal and/or edible benefits. They also attract and nourish important pollinators.
Decide on a location. Do you have room for an in-ground garden or raised beds? Or are container vegetables more realistic? Purchase containers and soil now to have ready for planting.
Assess the sun. Sunlight is important for food to grow. Avoid the north side of your house, and try to keep the garden area away from where large trees cast too much shade during the growing season.
Purchase seeds early. No one knows what the state of the 2021 seed supply will be, but if 2020 is any indication, it’s best to order what you need as early as you can.
Acquire canning supplies now. If you plan on preserving any of your garden’s bounty, make sure you have plenty of canning jars, lids, and other supplies on hand. In my experience, the toilet paper shortage in spring 2020 was nothing compared to the canning lid shortage in summer 2020.
Make plans to plant your first crops. In our area, you can start planting many cold-tolerant plants like arugula, spinach, kale, and other greens as early as January or February. Plant peas, carrots, radishes, lettuce, and potatoes the first week of March. You’d be surprised at how early you can plant and grow these crops in our area.
Like a harsh wake-up call, 2020 taught us the wisdom in being prepared. But planting and growing our own food doesn’t start and end with its utilitarian and practical purposes. Growing our own gardens boosts our mental health, provides nourishing food, lightens the load when the food chain gets stressed, and offers connection with nature and one another.
No matter what this final month of this year looks like for each of us, one thing remains -- the more we grow ourselves, the better we all are for it. As we take the time in the garden’s off-season to dream of spring and all it brings, may our future gardens rise to the top of our list. l
Story by MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS | Photo by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN A JOURNAL of our RURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE
Kirt Mosley
Interior Design
36 Years Experience | Design Work by-the-hour From a Single Room to Your Entire Home or Office
For appointments or consultations contact:
(479) 890-1715 or email kirtm1101@hotmail.com
Black gold
WE WERE TURNING OVER THE SOIL IN OUR NEW GARDEN BED when we hit black dirt. In a garden full of heavy, red clay, even digging into brown dirt is worthy of celebration. But this was black like hummus, the best there is. I dropped to my knees to take a closer look. I picked up a small piece and squashed it in my hand. Just like all the soil experts say, it spread out under my thumb and forefinger like a ribbon: not too heavy or wet nor too dry and crumbly. My grandfather had run a small truck patch on this land 70 years ago. Had I just accidentally dug into his old plot?
Let me backup and say that excavating my grandfather’s soil was not exactly accidental. We’ve been living on this land for a few years now, and when we decided to expand and build a second garden plot we chose a spot that we knew was at least close to where my Papa Martin had once grew. I have pictures of him standing with his mule team in a thriving cornfield near the same place where all my corn floundered then got infested with worms. I’ve often wondered how he ever managed to make a big crop in this unforgiving red clay. I suspect he had the benefit of fertilizers. I could make that decision, too, but I’ve decided to go a different route: transforming the soil.
Did you know that building up the soil is one of the most effective ways to address climate change? So-called traditional farming depletes the topsoil, which leads to increased erosion and nutrient loss (think Dust Bowl). Building up the organic matter of the soil, on the other hand, directly sequesters carbon into the earth and increases food production. And the best part is to build up the soil all you need is decay. Everything old makes something new.
Merry Christmas from the Rackley Family
479-641-2220
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