As spring arrives, planning and planting takes a front seat

The vernal equinox, marking the start of spring, occurred on March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere.  This means the earth is titled on its axis at 23.5 degrees and it is this tilt that causes the change in seasons.  Spring officially ends on June 20.

As I was walking through Central Park last Sunday, while the sun was bright and the sky was blue, there was still a chilling wind in the air.  However, as I walked past patches of daffodils and looked up at bright pink blooms on a few of the trees it was clear that the cold wind was temporary and sporadic.

Robin Fox writes a gardening column for the Weekend Edition of the Financial Times.   He is a scholar who has written and taught Greek and Latin literature and Islamic history.  However, it is through the gardening column that I know him. While I don’t have a garden (have always longed for one) I always read his column.  He combines observations  about nature and literature and color that are a joy to think about.

One of his recent columns was entitled, “Let’s Put Them to Bed” and it was all about 

ordering and germinating seeds at home for planting in your garden.

This reminded me of when we were children and planted seeds in small cups at school. We would leave them on the windowsill until a few green sprouts popped up through the brown dirt and then we would take them home. I’m not certain what happened after that, as I can only recall carrying the precious small delicate cup.

With the price of eggs and all the attention that is being focused on the cost I remembered that egg cartoons are also very useful in cultivating seeds. All you need to do is poke small holes in the bottom of each cup, fill with soil, moisten and then plant your seeds.  Keep the soil moist but not wet and probably best to put the carton in a sunny window.

For a few years I had beautiful geraniums  that I continued to transplant until they were large, beautiful plants.  Then one year something happened, and the plants didn’t do well.  I was at the green market recently  and a beautiful, Santana Pink geranium just caught my eye. I didn’t realize there are so many varieties of germananes, and Santana Pink is one. 

According to the care directions these plants require 0.8 cups of water every 9 days if it isn’t in direct sunlight and is potted in a 5” pot. I’m not certain that I can follow such specific directions, but now that it has been re-potted into a clay pot with room for roots to spread and grow it seems to be thriving on my windowsill.

I always keep a New Hampshire plant in my home.  This year I have a  glorious spider plant.  I carried a small tuberous root back from Harrisville and over time and several re-pottings it is doing very well. The plant in  Harrisville, watered with water from the pond, is in an enormous pot and I’m hoping over time mine will do as well.

Planting a garden is like planning a formal dinner party. It requires reading, attention to color, attention to temperature and detail.  If you are having “one of those days” pull down a gardening book or go to the library and spend a few hours looking at a few of the books. By thinking about your garden, you will imagine a warm, beautiful, peaceful summer day.

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Elizabeth Howard is the host of the Short Fuse Podcast, found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or through the Arts Fuse. Her career intersects journalism, marketing, and communications. “Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back,” a book she edited, was published in May 2016. She is the author of “A Day with Bonefish Joe,” a children’s book, published by David R. Godine. You can send her a note at: eh@elizabethhoward.com.