March 13, 2010

Last weekend, the first shoots of daffodils, tulips and a lone crocus set the gardener in us truly stirring. Got me thinking about how the yard has evolved and, inevitably, we found our way to Green Haven.

The first March we were in this house, we’d look out over the back yard split by a concrete walk and see grass with a clothesline plunked in the middle, a rectangular patch of earth at one end and beside each fence for vegetables and flowers. A row of mature lilacs, predictably spectacular every spring, lined half the north property line.

The front yard was lawn, flanked by a white potentilla, pink hansa rose bush and white spirea. Three junipers had over grown the space under the front window.

The place needed work.

Out came the clothesline, which had been anchored by what seemed like a ton of concrete. The hole left behind made a great start for a pond that changed over the years and still sustains koi year ‘round.

Then, after we used a rope to help design a flowerbed around the pond, we dug out sod and outlined the new garden area with river rock.

Now, for the flowers.  Although we were relatively new to this, we had puttered enough to know perennials were important. We left Green Haven that first visit with Shasta daisies, cranesbill, fall asters, silver mound, hardy mums, yarrow, and the odd tea rose, for starters. When we added a trunk full of annuals like marigolds, pansies, lobelia, double petunias, geraniums and portulaca for continuous summer colour, the first Green Haven bill was about $200. That year, we probably spread more than $1,000 around wherever plants were sold.

Last weekend, we were back at Green Haven as we have been more times than we can count over the years, this time for seeds. We weren’t the only gardeners feeling the spring-like warmth who couldn’t wait for spring. When the bill was totalled, Marlene gasped, “$50? For seeds?”

Just doing our part for the more than $2 billion industry. And, it never ends, thank goodness. Every March, the garden itch leads to digging new beds to replace lawn – no grass remains in the backyard and front yard lawn diminishes each year.

We start gearing up for splitting, moving and giving away perennials. Only a few remain in the same place as they started the first year.

The seeds for tomatoes, egg plant, basil, Italian and curled parsley and tomatillo got planted indoors in the crawl space under fluorescent lights this week. Beside them in enclosed cell packs are impatience, globe amaranth, salpiglossis, double and wave petunias, gazanias, and African daisies among others to fill in around the perennials.

Of course, this is unlikely to keep us from buying many more plants closer to planting time in May, and beyond.

Oh, and I can’t tell a lie: I cut down the ragged, old honeysuckle in the side yard Sunday. Neighbor Brian convinced me of the merits of planting a honey locust tree in its place.

And so it goes if you like gardening.