Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
Winter is tough. Short, gray, cold days leave us longing for vitamin D. Just a glimpse of the sun gives us hope, and then it’s gone again. For the gardener, the wait has been especially tough, and we yearn to dig our hands into the thawed earth. Fortunately, in South Jersey, we have started to see some signs of life in nature that are giving us hints of spring. Our jealous neighbors to the north and west must wait a bit longer. But here, daffodils, crocuses, and primroses are showing off their spring colors, and brown grass has perked up and begun to turn green. Even the birds seem to sing a more cheerful tune — announcing the much-anticipated arrival of a new season. And so it begins…
Thanks to leap year, spring officially starts on March 19. But all around us, we can already sense the changes of the season. It feels like creation can hardly contain itself and is ready to burst. Yes, we can still have a surprise snowstorm and dipping temperatures in our future, but spring is lunging forward like an unstoppable tidal wave. With these longer days and newfound sunlight, gardeners can finally cut the ribbon for a soft opening of the new season. The wait is over.
Take a survey of your garden. We have some early-season tasks ahead. Though you shouldn’t clear every errant leaf and protective covering of earth from your plants, a light cleanup is in order. Fallen branches and sticks should be cleared, and large clumps of damp leaves should be lifted. You may find that daffodils and other bulbs have been suffocated and are looking for light. Be careful where you step because dormant plants are waking up. Their new growth is barely visible. The tops of tulips, astilbe, and peonies are beginning to emerge. Hostas aren’t far behind. Rotted raised beds should be mended. and broken pottery that did not survive the freeze should be mourned. Best of all, we can begin planting.
Cool-season flowers and vegetables should be planted now because cold temperatures are a necessity for their growth and health. You may be more accustomed to hearing about gardeners waiting until the predicted “last frost date” before embarking on their gardening ventures because many treasured flowers and vegetables would succumb to freezing temperatures. However, cool-season plants should be started well before the last frost date. The goal is to allow enough time for these plants to complete their life cycle up to harvest before the weather becomes too warm. Once it gets too warm, these cool-season plants will go into survival mode. Vegetables won’t taste as good. The plants will start to “bolt”, putting out seeds for the next generation of plants.
So what can you plant? Peas can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked. Be sure to soak the hard seeds for a few hours or overnight to aid in germination. Whether you are using bamboo sticks or another support system for the vines, put these in place before you plant your peas, so you know right where they should go and won’t be disturbing newly germinated seeds. Other cool-season crops are spinach, cabbage, carrots, radishes, beets, broccoli, and Swiss chard. Some of the most cold-hardy vegetables like kale and Brussels sprouts will become sweeter after a light frost since this will cause them to convert their starches into sugar. For instant gratification (and to give you a healthy head start), purchase seedlings from your local garden nursery. But to earn your scout gardening badge, at least try to start some plants from seed. Lettuces are easy to grow and sprout up quickly. For beginners, I would suggest a seed packet of mesclun salad mix. Sprinkle some seeds in a pot or bowl of potting soil (with drainage, of course), and you can have beautiful baby salad greens in as little as a month.
We all love to have colorful flowers in our gardens, and they will also attract pollinators to our plants. Pansies, daffodils, hellebores, snowdrops, and winter aconite can all handle the cold. Ranunculus take my breath away, and their amazing rose-like flowers almost have me storming the garden nurseries to open early. They are among the first early spring flowers that I plant. While all of these flowers are cold-hardy, some of them may need a bit of protection from a hard freeze. Check with the staff of your trusted garden nursery for more detailed information.
A word of caution: When purchasing cool-season plants, make sure you are choosing those that have already been growing outside. We are not talking about coddled flowers that are displayed indoors. These have most likely been living the sweet life of warm greenhouses and have been forced into early blooming. In your excitement, don’t throw these lookers out in the cold, since they probably won’t be able to handle the drastic temperature fluctuations. This time of year, you want plants that are being displayed and sold from outside. These plants have been “hardened off” and have already adjusted to cold temperatures. Again, ask before you buy for the best advice. When direct sowing from seed, read the back of the seed packet for instructions. Right now, we are only interested in seeds that can be planted outside before the last frost. Of course, you can get a head start by starting seeds indoors, but that is a different discussion for another day.
The list goes on, but if you have been chafing at the bit to start your garden, plenty of tasks await you. Bundle up and get out there. Your endorphins will thank you.
We love to hear from our readers. Send your questions, comments, and garden pictures to shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
