GARDENING UPDATE
Gardening Dreams by Sandy Robson
“I’m dreaming of a green springtime… with each seed catalogue I browse. Where the beet seeds glisten, and my spouse listens, to all my new year garden plans…” —with apologies to Irving Berlin
To combat the blues brought on by the rather rainy, windy, dark, and glum winter, I allow myself some time for dreaming of the green of spring; and flip open my seed catalogues, grab a highlighter and choose the plants I would like to grow in the garden this year. I LOVE MY PAPER COPIES OF SEED CATALOGUES FOR PERUSING WHILE I SIP A CUP OF TEA, and order a wide variety of them each year, but will admit to a bias for Canadian seed companies, with some of my favourites being: West Coast Seeds (Delta, BC), Richters Herbs (Ontario), Heritage Harvest Seed (Manitoba), McKenzie Seeds (also in MB). I tend to place my orders using their online stores Before I place my order though, I sort through all my existing seeds, to see where I have gaps in my collection. When I order a packet, I write the year purchased so that I know which to use up before they expire. I tend to hold on to seeds for at least three years. Some seeds like those for artichokes, celery and cucumbers can keep for up to 5 years, but I can never bring myself to just discard them after that time without first doing a test for viability. At the moment I have some scarlet runner beans, and sweet pea seeds sitting on a moist paper towel to see if they will germinate… and yes, despite 26 PASSIONS | WINTER 2021
the watched kettle advice, I look at them often, hoping to see the first delicate green of a sprout forming. Now’s the time to also check the supplies you have on hand—sterile potting soil, peat pots, seed trays etc.— to get a jump on the season and start one (or many) trays of seeds. Even though I am an avid gardener, I had resisted starting plants indoors from seed. That all changed last year, when after being up close and personal with the tiniest of seeds as they sprouted and grew delicately towards the sun, and then shepherding them through until they eventually became sturdy bunches of celery, glorious tomato plants, sunflowers and cosmos… well, I was hooked! The money savings alone when paying $3.99 for a packet of seeds vs. the same amount to purchase a single plant are considerable, but it is the sheer variety of seed available, particularly heritage options, that I find most enticing. And with names like Flat of Egypt (a beet variety from 1885), Black Valentine (a snap bean introduced in 1897), and Nebraska Wedding (a tomato whose seeds were brought in covered wagons to Nebraska in the late 1800’s), how can a passionate gardener be expected to resist?! Still I will be taking things slowly and do not plan on cramming every
nook and cranny of my home, and the greenhouse we built last fall, with seed trays; but I will be using this year to experiment and learn. From reading and listening to the advice of a variety of master gardeners, I will, for instance, be moving away from using peat pots. Apparently, they draw moisture out the soil, drying and stressing the seedlings—so I will instead use plastic (oh dear) trays. Using peat in the potting soil is a bit controversial as well—oh, the things you learn— hence I will be leaving that ingredient out of the mix. I also have the fun, to me, idea of using old chopsticks to label my trays… yes, we have had a LOT of take-out this past year. And a grow light and heating pad are also in my future… for the seeds, not my tired gardener’s bones! There is always so much growth that goes on in a garden, and not just among the plants. The opportunity to learn and experiment, and to literally enjoy the fruits of one’s labour keeps me dreaming all winter long. After experiencing the COVID-19 gardening boom of 2020, I suspect this will be another banner year for seed and plant sales, and plan on dropping by local nurseries as soon as they re-open to check out what they have (or will have) in stock. WHAT ARE YOUR GARDEN DREAMS FOR 2021?
