At precisely this time each year, I become consumed with all things garden related. It starts with taking Down the Garden Path by Beverly Nichols from the bookshelf and onto my nightstand. For the past few spring seasons, I have read this book in its entirety in bits and pieces before bed in the evening. And each year, the words seem to reintroduce themselves to me as if we’d never met and everything is new again. (Surely those are the best books?) Mostly pertaining to floral and formal planting, there are chapters detailing the author’s very colourful conundrums with both his kitchen garden and orchards as well.
Down the Garden Path is wildly entertaining, but mostly it gets me thinking about what I will plant in our vegetable and flower beds for the season. It also creates a bit of an obsession – planning when to get out and clean the beds to prepare for new growth. By obsession, I mean waking up in the middle of the night worrying about how far the horseradish has invaded into artichoke territory over the winter months, and how very sad, but likely it is, that one of the Wisteria isn’t going to make it this year.
So it begins. With a pencil behind my ear, I peruse seed catalogues, gardening course books, GIY Ireland meeting times and fancy landscape magazines. I chat with friends and neighbours, and begin scribbling and planning.
Essentially, I decide that I am just looking for a few new offerings in the fruit and veg department, and, perhaps, a new tree or two. Luckily, I was gifted a peony plant from my generous neighbour and I can see new growth already, so blossoms will be something to really look forward to in July
A large cedar tree fell onto the potato patch, which needs to be cleared. I hope to plant some more heirloom potatoes this year as I have some pulled chitted spuds from last year when the potatoes didn’t fare so well. I’m not sure if they will work, but I’m going to give them a go along with my trusty Russets and Kerr Pinks. I usually go by the mantra “plant what you can’t easily and efficiently find in the market,” but there is nothing more satisfying and delicious than freshly-dug potatoes for dinner.
Geoffrey already has his pumpkin and purple of Sicily cauliflower seedlings started – his bumblebee garden packet at the ready for sprinkling. He gets a bed to himself, and last year he grew upwards of 30 Romanesco courgettes, the long stripey ones. He was quite proud of himself, but he missed the pumpkins that he had planted the year before with great success, so we are back on those again.
I have seed envelopes: Brown envelope seeds from Madeline McKeever in west Cork, and, from America, Baker Seed Company, an organic and mostly heirloom seed company out of Missouri.
On Sunday I start the process. Colorado Red Quinoa and Collard Greens from Georgia go in the TBP (to be planted) pile, while White Scallop Squash goes into the NY (next year) pile. The amount of seeds I’ve ordered is dizzying, and I make a note to cut back in future. Tea is sipped, seeds are sorted, and there are smiles for miles.
What will you plant this year?