Gardening in Hard Times II

Elisabeth — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:16:00 GMT

Gardens get people through hard times. The most obvious way is by providing food. A little less obvious, but still very important, is the psychological and physical value of gardening. America's settlers crossed oceans and frontiers with seeds and cuttings of favorite ornamental as well as edible plants stored in boxes and bags. The sight of a favorite nasturtium or lilac helped remind people of home and inspire them to do the hard work necessary to clear land, plant crops and begin new lives.

Our challenges are different now, but the value of gardening hasn't changed. A previous blog post covered food gardening. Now I want to give a bit of advice to cost conscious gardeners who focus on ornamentals. The following are the best tips for saving money right now:

Page through catalogs and click through websites. Make a list of plants, trees and shrubs that you need and/or want. Prioritize your list. Once that is done, look for early bird specials, free shipping and free plant offers (usually free with purchase). If any of your "must have" plants are offered by vendors with such promotions, take advantage of them
Multiples: If you need or want more than one of something, check for vendors who offer discounts on multiples of a single plant or plant group.
Team up with the neighbors: You can often save plant costs and/or shipping costs by splitting orders with a neighbor or friend. For instance, if you and your neighbor both want daylilies, find a vendor that offers discounts for multiple daylilies, combine your order, divide up the cost, and have the daylilies shipped to one address or the other. You may also save shipping costs this way.
Consider planting "easy" ornamentals (especially annuals) from seed. Even if you don't have the sunny space to start them inside, you can still get them going outside as soon as spring begins. Annuals will bloom later in the summer. It's a lot cheaper to grow 20-40 zinnia plants from a $2.25 pack of seeds than to buy flats at $9-$12 apiece. Check websites and catalogs for discounts on early seed orders. Store seeds in a cool dry place until you are ready to plant them.
Plan ahead and think about plants already in your garden that can be divided. Find a like-minded friend or neighbor and arrange swaps.
Learn more about plant propagation. A great book on the subject is Making More Plants by Ken Druse (Clarkson Potter, 2000). Check it out of your local library or buy it in paperback.
For a little humor plus inspiration on swapping or "passing along" plants, get your hands on Passalong Plants by Steve Bemder and Felder Rushing (University of North Carolina Press, 1993). It is also available in paperback.

Henry Mitchell

Elisabeth — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:40:00 GMT

At this time of year, people who are a bit proactive start thinking about holiday gifts. If you are looking for the perfect gift for a gardener, look no further than Henry Mitchell.

Mitchell, who died in 1992, was a Texas native, a veteran journalist and a passionate gardener. For twenty years he wrote a column, "The Essential Earthman," for the Washington Post. His columns were published in book form, and those books include One Man's Garden, The Essential Earthman and Henry Mitchell on Gardening. America has produced many fine garden writers, but in my opinion, Mitchell was the best. His work was accessible, earthy, funny and inspiring. He was literate without being pedantic and sincere without being cloying.

Mitchell wrote about everything from daffodils to water gardens, and most, if not all, of his writing was based on his personal experience. Some of the chapter headings from One Man's Garden provide a nice sample of the flavor of Mitchell's writing. "Maintaining Your Garden and Maintaining Your Sanity" deals with the pleasures and pitfalls of doing your own garden maintenance; "I Try Not to Do Stupid Things," is about planting large vines spaces that are too small for them; and "In Some Gardens, Only the Shadow Grows" is about trees and shade gardening.

Mitchell's best columns contain information on growing a specific plant or type of plants, together with good doses of wisdom and humor. The columns are short enough so that you can read one or two of them before you fall asleep at night. I can't think of a better way to end the day.

Mitchell's books are still in print and are available in some bookstores as well as from the major online booksellers.

Growing Wise : garden literature

Gardening in Hard Times II

Henry Mitchell