A new year with new ideas...or not...........Carol Ann Harlos

HOME & GARDEN

A new year with new gardening ideas…or not

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Though I be an old man, I am but a young gardener.”

CAROL ANN HARLOS

I identify. I am always revising, moving, and trying new plants; I’m never completely satisfied. However, this is not the case for all gardeners.

One female gardener has never changed what she plants year after year: sweet alyssum and red zonal geraniums. The mature plants always have a lot of earth showing around them; she hand-cultivates several times a week. When she asked where I purchase my fertilizers, she was surprised to learn that I only use compost and shredded leaves. She is a lovely person content with her garden, and I have no intention of attempting to change her practices—we can add gardening right under religion and politics on the list of subjects to avoid!

Gardens often reflect the time in which they are created and change with the gardeners who care for them. In the 1950s, for example, plastic animals, shaped, pruned evergreens, and pristine lawns were popular. The use of chemicals in gardens was commonplace, a direct result of the growth of the chemical industry during World War II (remember, “Better living through chemistry”?).

I remember listening to a rose expert in the seventies. He supplied the audience with a month-by-month pruning and feeding schedule. Yikes! Roses were cut back severely in autumn and soil was mounded over them. My husband, Jim, and I mounded our roses when we were young, new homeowners. Jim limed the lawn as well. Now, I simply stop pruning the roses in mid-August and let them form hips; the cooler weather hardens them off before winter. Why did we do these things? Because our parents did! It made sense at the time.

Urban gardens appeared in the seventies; by the eighties the demarcation of homes and gardens was no more. As American lots have gotten smaller, gardens have grown into planters, trellises, porches, and rooftops. In the past twenty years, a front yard with the “required” three evergreens fell from favor (We had one too, but fear not, reader—I am not immune to change!) No longer are gardens relegated to the backyard. Front yard gardens often have roses that grow on their own roots, grasses, herbs, and vegetables.

Today’s gardens reflect positive societal changes. Movements toward growing native species contrast growing cultivars. Climate change awareness and a focus on healthful eating has caused sensitive gardeners to shift toward sustainability. The presence of leaves in garden beds in late autumn instead of curbs indicates a society trying to work with nature rather than against it. Autumn no longer means “cleanup,” because doing so eliminates overwintering insects and exposes roots. Food security awareness has led gardeners to not only to take care of their own areas, but to also share their bounty with others. Community gardens are now both a source of healthy food and sustenance for under-resourced communities.

This year, take the time to think about how your thoughts and practice surrounding the art and science of gardening have changed over the years. Email me about changes (or lack thereof) that you have made in your gardens and/or your garden attitudes.

It’s a wonderful time to be a gardener. Don’t you agree?

I love hearing from you: caharlos@ verizon.net FY

Carol Ann Harlos is an awardwinning retired math and science teacher, Master Gardener, beekeeper, writer, and speaker. She tends extensive gardens, including herbs, and loves learning from others and sharing her knowledge.