We did it! We made it through another cold, dark winter. The Spring equinox has passed, the first robin was spotted, and now freckles of color are appearing on the Lot.
From left to right are the winter aconite (Eranthis cilicica), crocus (Crocus tommasinianus), and snow drops (Galanthus).
As I typed the title of this post, I cannot believe we’ve been growing veggies on The Lot for 10 years already. I’ve made so many mistakes in that time! I’ve also learned a lot as well… the knowledge most retained being what I learned from all of those mistakes. If you haven’t tried growing food before, you really should give it a try. It’s very rewarding.
Last year I tried for the first time to stagger the planting of the cool weather crops. Since our #carnivorekids do not eat food grown in the garden, the Other Half and I can enjoy all the spoils. In the past, this has led to large harvests of produce at one time than two people to handle. Our growing season is so short, it often does not leave enough time for a second round of food. Enter succession planting. But then we decided to bolt for a 2 week trip and plans for fresh greens didn’t pan out.
But this season will be different! (says every gardener, every season) We will be home as spring crops come time to harvest. Here’s how I’m making the attempt this year in our two 4’x4′ raised beds:
When planning what food to grow in the raised beds, I draw out a plan on graph paper. This works really well for me since we plant via the square foot planting approach, and because I am more of a visual person. When creating the planting plan, I draw out the two raised beds on the graph paper and try to note:
Here’s a visual of the first bed with the first planting from this afternoon. Last year I color-coded the planting dates for a quick visual cue. As I plant the sections, I choose a color for the planting date and then note that on the sketches of the beds.
I’ve mixed kale and such into my annual containers with flowers when potting them up in the past. This season I am going to try to do spring greens in containers before the rest of the season really gets going. Some plants I’ll try to start from seed in containers will be ‘Bright Lights’ swiss chard, parsley, snow peas, and kale.
For record-keeping purposes, this is what I planted.
This afternoon I was able to attend a screening of Five Seasons : The Gardens of Piet Oudolf by Thomas Piper. The filmmaker attempts to give us a peek into the mind and creative process of the Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf. We are able to watch beautiful footage of Oudolf’s designs transition over a span of seasons. Being in Zone 6a during February, this was a welcome distraction and opportunity to be inspired by a fellow gardener.
When discussing his approach to designing a garden, Piet discusses how as a young man he was looking for something different than the traditional garden design. He was searching for a more spontaneous appearance, one that would look interesting in all seasons. For example, he describes a beautiful winter palette of browns, gray, and blonde. Having been gardening for a bit now, winter and beautiful palette aren’t usually riding on the same train of thought for me. But wow, when the light hits those stands of grasses and fading asters in the film, it’s pretty breathtaking.
I put plants on stage. And I let them perform.
– PETE OUDOLF
When selecting plants for designs, Piet Oudolf looks beyond flowers. At one point in the film he even warns against too many blooms. I feel most gardeners would have a designer’s head on a stick for those words, but I do understand. If everyone is yelling, no one is heard; right? Here are a few things I’ve been trying to pay more attention to when observing plants.
All of these things can add to the atmosphere created by a garden. Piet mentions throughout the film how he’s not really a botanist or a landscape designer. He wants to create environments with plants that invoke different emotions in the viewer. I feel this is why many people throughout the film refer to him as an artist using plants as a medium.
One of the more delightful scenes of the film caught Piet driving through the Texas to view wildflowers. I laughed when he began to exclaim and point to the highway median, covered with orange swaths because of the native blanket flower (Gaillardia). I had just had the same experience this past spring when I traveled to Austin for the 2018 Garden Bloggers Fling!
Oudolf is seen throughout the film constantly snapping photos, collecting inspiration. Thank you digital cameras! He speaks about “recharging” his creativity. Scenes from the film show him wandering through the woods and wading through prairies. I agree. Nature is one heck of a muse, isn’t she?
At multiple points of the film, Piet Oudolf praises his wife Anja for her continued support. He credits her with supporting their young family while he began his career. This stood out to me because I live as one half of a pair. Partners of gardeners (who don’t also garden) could start their own support group. But when they’re supportive, it makes all the difference.
The Other Half has been a rockstar in supporting my gardening obsessions. He doesn’t care when I pull the car off the side of the road to get a photo of that plant. His teasing is playful when I take a photo 1. of the plant, and 2. of the plant with my hand in it for scale. He’s even made a game of taking pictures of me while I take pictures of plants. (For reals. We have some in every vacation photo album he’s shot.)
Pete Oudolf has a huge portfolio of gardens he’s designed over the years. The layouts I find most interesting are those set in an urban environment. Here are a few:
So, I was SUPER-geeked to find out Pete Oudolf has been asked to design a garden for Belle Isle in Detroit. That’s a day trip for me!!! Who signed up to volunteer for install? This lady. Can’t wait!