Hohoho spelled out for gardeners
Alphabet says…
C is for crucifers which grow in cold weather. Give them a blanket of three kinds of leaves, visit occasionally with some water, build a winter house around them if you have to because that’s what gardeners do, and maybe you’ll harvest until spring. For important chemical reasons, kale gets a tiny bit sweeter during colder temperatures. Oh boy! Because here comes colder weather. Chicory varieties might also last through colder weather with some protection. C is also for courtesy.
H is for humility and herbs. Even small gardens can accommodate a patch of oregano or mints, both of which spread unless you contain them, so contain them because they are worth it if you have the time. Basil varieties scattered around your garden make valuable companion plants because the scent chases away some insect pests which means you get pesto instead of pests. H is also for hohoho.
R is for right now because that is all there is. Don’t waste another minute being anywhere else, and right now it’s time for a word about rutabagas. They are like bigger, sweeter turnips that take longer to mature. Plant them in mid-summer for a harvest when cooler weather sets in. Also called swedes, they are popular in Wales and Scandinavia.
I is for inspiration, imagination and icicle radishes. I’m a fan of radishes and imagination.
S is for summer squash – much adored and sought out by squash bugs who are picky about what they eat. I’m okay with sharing, but squash bugs aren’t. They won’t eat hickory leaves or Bermuda grass which would temper my attitude toward them. They lay low in leaf mulch playing pinochle or solving sudokus all winter, fly in to a host plant in spring, do some snuggling, wait until the squash plants are looking really vibrant to the gardener’s delight, and then, silent assassins that they are, they deposit arrays of tiny bronze-colored eggs that seem harmless enough until… until… out come hungry baby squash bugs by the dozens. That’s nature’s way… and the time for neem oil and 24-hour surveillance. Catch them early and you might get your zucchinis.
T is for the dozens of tomato varieties I haven’t grown yet. Last summer, I kept more volunteer plants than usual, and one of them produced unusual orange and greenish surprises. Other volunteers produced bowlfuls of tiny, tasty salad tomatoes. Tomatoes are talented, but they need well-prepared soil because they are heavy feeders and last all season. They appreciate leaf mulch and grass clippings to moderate soil temperature and moisture. They also appreciate basil and marigolds growing nearby.
M is for mustard, melons and melokiya. Mustard greens, banjos and melons are traditionally attached to rural Southern lifestyle. I’ve grown red mustard, a Japanese variety, in northern Madison County, as well as other Asian mustards. Melokiya is a leafy small shrub popular in Egypt. I tried it once. I try lots of things once.
A is for asparagus, agastache and attitude. I started asparagus seeds in 2010, and every April those same crowns still send up spears. Should probably start new seeds in spring because those crowns might be getting tired. Anise hyssop and Hummingbird Mint are varieties in the agastache tribe that produce showy flowers for pollinators and scented leaves for tasty tea if you’re so inclined.
S is also for spring which is about 94 days away, plenty time to accomplish dozens of cold weather chores such as reading, napping, dreaming, tuning your mandolin, hiking among trees on cold days, making sure your friends know you’re thinking about them as well as making sure your garden knows you’re thinking about it. There’s plenty to do. S is also for summer when you can do all these healthy, satisfying things again. Hohoho…