How I Unconsciously Extend the Growing Season
From the crocuses I planted in the lawn years ago to the trees and shrubs I choose particularly for their winter interest, I’ve always considered what a plant brings to the garden. What do I want from it? And yet I wasn’t completely aware that the things I do in the garden and the choices I make are all ways to extend the growing season. That only applied to vegetable gardening, right?
It’s a funny thing. Every year, by mid-September usually, I’m ready to call it quits. Exhausted by watering, fertilizing, pest prevention, heat and humidity, I’m ready to lock the garden gate and throw away the key. So here we are in early March and ironically, I’m thinking of all the ways I can extend the growing season indoors and out so that my cold climate garden wakes earlier than the year before and continues producing into late fall, even early winter. I guess that makes me a pusher.
I prefer forward thinker.
Whether I’m forcing amaryllis in early December to bloom in time for Valentine’s Day or starting pak choi and lettuce from seed in the basement in early February, I’m thinking ahead. Gardening is an unnatural thing, though. When you consider how we force things that normally wouldn’t grow together or flower at a certain time to please us by doing as we wish, gardening in that sense is an unnatural act. Strip away the reasons for it however and it feels completely natural. I’d be lost without my garden.
The garden isn’t officially closed for the season until sometime shortly before Christmas when I put the final mulch layer on the garlic bed in the vegetable garden. Which leaves a few months for contemplation and stillness. And yet my mind is anything but still. I want fresh veg as soon as possible. Like by Easter! And the only way to pull that off in my cold climate is with the construction of mini tunnels on my raised beds. So I did it! And you can watch how I pulled it off in this video from my YouTube channel.
I sowed cool season veg like pak choi, spinach, lettuce, broccoli and cabbage in the basement in early February and as of today, the hardening off process is complete. They are ready for the mini tunnels! So instead of homegrown veg by late April, I’m on track for late March and that’s pretty sweet!
I’ve always extended my growing season, even when I didn’t realize that was in fact what I was doing when I planted crocuses in the lawn for early spring flowers or planted a redtwig dogwood next to a giant arborvitae just outside my west-facing windows. During the summer months, they’re good structure, but winter’s when the combo sparkles, especially beneath a dusting of snow. Winter interest is the common term but I think the view from a window on a cold day is a way to extend the season. Those vistas keep you in the garden when the weather forces you indoors.
And now that the soil in the mini-tunnels is consistently in the mid 50s, it’s go time! My little seedlings will be taking up permanent spring residence inside tomorrow once this rain passes.
I’m envisioning a fresh homegrown salad to serve my family this Easter.
Gardeners never stop gardening. We do it in our head, imagining the potential of a space, when we can’t be in the garden. We do it when we race to the mailbox in January anticipating the arrival of our favorite seed catalogs so we can start dreaming again. That list of must-have plants you keep in your phone notes that just keeps getting longer? Season extending.
Because all we really want from the garden is to be amazed 365 days of the year.
Well, that’s my reason anyway.
I hope your Easter salad makes it! If not, there are always micro greens 😉 Have you ever grown micro greens or pea shoots? Yum! Or sprouts? All good winter “veggies”/season extenders.
Here in my zone 6b (7a?) garden in Western Maryland, the snow crocuses are fading and the large ones are in their glory, both a full month early. Don’t you love how the crocus clumps multiply into little bouquets?
I’ve never grown either but it sounds like I should! Things here in the Chicago area are early too and the crocuses have mostly finished. There are a few still blooming. They form the most perfect little bouquets! Happy Gardening!
Love the idea of tunnels. I’m jealous of the gardeners that can count back days and seem to have it together. I’m keep looking for an indoor planning guide, but haven’t truly put the time/effort into finding one or creating one.
Sadly, my lawn killed my crocuses. Too much clay, too much water. The builder didn’t put any topsoil before laying the sod. This year goals is to top dress with soil. Maybe crocuses next year.
The counting back feels tedious at first. What zone are you?
I had the same experience with the builder not putting down any topsoil. They put on an inch and said if we wanted another inch, we’d have to pay several thousand more! That was 20 years ago. I’ve been amending the soil ever since.
We’re in 5b. Next town over.
The developer took all the topsoil and didn’t do any grading and then fled. The backyard is flatter than pancake. We joke, when it rains, our swimming pool comes back in the only two low spots. When the neighbor built, we convinced him to put a swale on our side to move the water.