Weekend garden chores
A winter warm spell is a terrible temptation for the gardener. You immediately think, "Why not get out there and get a head start on spring clean-up?"
But the best advice comes from Margaret Roach of A Way to Garden: keep off the grass. And out of the beds, too.
Walking on the grass or on the beds when they are frozen or even in a bit of a thaw does more harm than good to the soil -- which is the gardener's best friend.
Instead, she advises, when pruning off that broken branch or pulling those winter weeds, keep to the paths, walkways or driveways if you can.
Besides, I have another chore for you this weekend....
If you are ready to commit to vegetable gardening this spring -- even a modest vegetable garden -- get yourself a copy of Gardener's Supply's spring 2011 catalog.
It offers a step-by-step guide to installing and planting raised beds, as well as the equipment you need to start your own seedlings.
With lots of drawings (and a drag-and-drop planner on line) and shopping lists, it is easy to figure out what size raised bed is right for your yard. You can always add a new bed for fall vegetables, or a second bed next spring.
With a bed liner, you can even plant a vegetable garden on a patio, concrete slab or driveway!
And there is advice and supplies at Gardener's Supply for garden covers and cold frames that can extend the gardening season.
The best way to get the most out of your raised beds is to use a technique called square-foot- gardening, a planting concept that provides for high yield in even the smallest spaces. You can read all about it and see demonstration videos on line.
If you are thinking about vegetable gardening this year, now is the time to start your research. Whatever you do, don't wait until May!
Comments
I laughed as I read this. I wouldn't keep GrandBoy and the dog off my lawn if I could! While my property has never been the neighborhood - whichever neighborhood in whatever state I was in at the time - showplace, my yards and gardens have co-existed successfully and happily with kids and dogs for more than 40 years.
Makes one wonder how lawns and gardens survived before the likes of Ms. Roach and her need for something to publish.
Posted by: Eve | January 11, 2011 11:40 AM