Spring Gardening

A time for sprucing and planting

by lIsa Cullen

Before Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar in 45 BC, Rome and other ancient cultures celebrated the New Year on the Vernal equinox. Spring, the long-awaited season of rebirth, rejuvenation and new beginnings was of course the obvious place to start the New Year. 2058 years later we celebrate spring by planting a garden.

Spring is the perfect time to overhaul your existing garden. The best place to start is to survey your domain. With your favorite morning beverage in hand, take a walk in your garden and take a look around. The purpose of this stroll is to survey your assets; the plants and areas in your garden that do what they are supposed to be doing. Whether it is a tree that is providing shade, fruit or beauty or an area that is providing color or a spot that was intended to be an outdoor entertainment space. This is the question you must ask yourself: “Is this area giving me what I need and want?” if the answer is “yes” then it is an asset. once you know your assets you can bring up the other areas one by one by deciding what you want from each. Perhaps you are ready to create a vegetable or herb garden or add a few fruit trees or maybe you always wanted to extend your living space into the outdoors. Whatever it is you want now is the time to get it done so you can have it ready to enjoy this summer. do you have an area of your garden where “nothing seems to grow”? If so, there could be a variety of causes: Soil, water, drainage, light and physical damage due to gardeners and/or pets all are factors to consider when dealing with a problem area. Some good observation on your part will provide the answer but if you can’t solve it, call your favorite professional.

When it comes to planting, spring is the perfect time to dig in. Get your plants in early so they have time to take hold before summer’s heat. Keep in mind the adage “5 dollar plant in a 10 dollar hole”, in other words money spent on soil amendments are well worth the expense and effort in the long run.

When you are ready to re-plant an area of your garden take a moment to visualize before planting. What will it look like in each season? Is it a “close up” garden or one that is viewed from a distance? how large will the plants get? Give the new plants room to grow or you’ll have maintenance troubles later. Some plants don’t like “wet feet” so the composition of your soil is a factor to keep in mind. Know before you go and know what type of soil your plants like when considering what to plant where.

This is also an ideal time to plant succulents. Good drainage is vital of course and if you want to liven up your existing patch cut off damaged and old leaves, separate the new babies from the mother plants and plant the babes and healthy cuttings for an ever-expanding crop.

Spring is also a great time to plant herbs. Perennials such as Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, marjoram, Lavender, Chives, mint and others can provide beauty as well as sustenance. So even if you don’t want an herb garden per se, you can add these garden beauties into your existing garden beds and have perpetual source of herbs for cooking, sachets etc.

But, why not plant an herb garden? You’ll need a sunny spot and ideally good airflow. Use smaller herbs as a border for a more formal look and leave room for your favorite annual herbs. Sweet Basil, Parsley, Cilantro, Chervil and the like are indispensible to the summer kitchen garden so plant plenty.

Whatever you do this spring, spend some time out in your garden and enjoy the sights and scents of nature. And remember always to fill your garden with joy.

Lisa Cullen, landscape designer and organic gardener owns Montecito Landscape with her husband, Chris. She can be reached at 805.969.3984 or www.montecitolandscape.com. Follow her blog at www.gardengossipsb.blogspot.com and listen to Garden Gossip radio show on AM1290, Fridays at 11am and 9pm and Saturdays at 11am.