Gardening Observations for the Winter

Chris came across an article from Southern Living back in April of 1995.  It contains a bunch of gardening observations that we thought were funny, pithy & sometimes just plain accurate.  As we move into the winter season when it’s not so much fun to be outside, maybe some of these will put a smile on your face.

Vegetables:
  • Only two kinds of people can’t grow tomatoes – the dearly departed and those who haven’t tried.
  • The better your soil, the bigger the harvest.  Work as much organic matter into your soil as you can.  Enrich your soil every year.
  • Crops, like automobile tires, perform better when rotated.  Don’t plant the same vegetable in the same spot every year.
  • Laugh at your failures and you’ll be happy most of the time.
  • Weather prediction is easy.  It will always frost the day after you set out your tomato transplants.
Design:
  • Put your money in trees.  If you’ve got only a little money to spend on your landscape, spend it on trees.
  • Nandina is not the enemy.  If your Nandina is unattractive, it’s your fault.  Stop shearing it into a box.
  • More of the same.  If you like a plant that’s growing happily in your yard, buy 10 more.
  • Less of the rest.  Resist the urge to buy at least one of everything else.
  • Take pictures of your house from across the street.  You’ll see things you’ve never noticed.
  • Crape Myrtles come in many colors, so you can choose one.
  • Call before you dig.  You don’t want to spend the weekend without phone or cable.  Neither does your neighbor.
Lawns:
  • Get an early start on controlling weeds, regardless of your weapon of choice.  Once they get big, they have the advantage.
  • Starting a lawn from seed or sod is not like laying down wall to wall carpet.  You don’t set it and forget it.  Water. Fertilize. No croquet, volleyball or polo until it’s established.
  • If grass won’t grow under that big shade tree, and you’ve tried all the shade tolerant grasses recommended for your area, GIVE IT UP!  Plant a shade tolerant ground cover, such as ivy, ajuga, common periwinkle or liriope.
  • Don’t faint at the sight of a few dandelions.  Let your children blow those little seed puffs.  Sure, this releases scads of seeds on feathery parachutes, but you were once young too, and did the same thing. (Besides, if it’s a windy day, there’s a good chance they’ll float over into your neighbors yard.)