When leaves go amber and the air crisp, it is a dead ringer that the potager garden needs just that little bit of TLC before frosting over. Think about it-like you are preparing a bed for that jaded and weary traveler-you are doing pretty much the same thing for your plants! And, um, wouldn’t want to leave them in the cold, now, would we?
First off, clean up those summer crops. Think of it as cleaning your closet; when it’s given you all it’s got, that big tomato plant or that squash vine that’s overstayed its welcome, it’s time to say adiós. Instead, it’s better to cut instead of pulling on the old plants so as not to tear the soil structure. Extra credit if you fling the leftovers on the compost heap. It will dance back on, come next year, as luscious soil.
Now, to the soil: the soil is like a fine stew that requires a combination of elements in order to achieve some of those winter vegetables. Sprinkle over some well-rotted manure or compost to enrich the earth. Think of your soil as a sponge ready to soak up whatever good nourishment may come its way. Give it a good turn, but be gentle-like fluffing a pillow, not wrestling an alligator.
Cover crop time; think pulling a warm blanket over the garden bed. Rye and clover will cover the soil, adding more nutrients in the bargain, while tough guys stand watch and guard from erosion, weeds, and those other pests. Come spring, they’ll be a secret weapon in your quest for super soils.
Now, focus on the inmate plants and make up your mind as to which of them are winter-hardy enough to stay in. Carrots, kale, and garlic are those siblings who would wear shorts in February, just because they like the cool breeze. Sow them now, give winter a chance; they will surprise you with their sweetness in early spring, because of the cold.
Mulching: this is the thermal coat for your plants. Do thick laying around the beds for retaining the heat and moisture. Leaves, wood chips, or straw will work wonders. Just keep neat and proper-not a mountain of mulch to smother your crops.
Watch out for pests-even though this may be a cool-season crop, there are critters out there that like to play unwanted guest. Use traps or barriers when necessary. You can recall how Uncle Joe found his way into your refrigerator uninvited; you do want to know who’s nibbling on your spuds.
The rain barrel is the savior, catching what nature gave away for free. Conceal a number of those around, and if there is a dry spell, then it’s a godsend. Sort of like finding a cookie in one’s pocket-that just totally is not expected but is great.
Keep it near your garden and treat the tools with TLC: clean and oil. A blunt tool is about as much help as a blunt pencil – absolutely useless and frustrating.
Whet those garden shears so that they do not let you down. On the other extreme, however, do not stint on the aesthetics either: clean up space, perhaps, and maybe add a whimsy garden gnome or a smart scarecrow in some sort of silly hat. It brightens up even the dreariest day, and on the bleak midwinter walks, it puts a smile on the face.
Spring Cleaning: Bringing New Life into Your Garden
It was now spring, that rhythmic old friend that would come and revisit, year after year, only to trace wear and tear of winter into our gardens. That is when renovation needs to be called for on earth-whether it be a potager garden or any other ordinary floral haven; renovation speaks all the languages of foliage.
First things first: dirt. It’s about rolling up those sleeves and indulging in the very ancient art of soil preparation. Winter mostly packs the ground tight. Grasp the fork-not the dinner kind-and start a turnover, like fluffing some giant pillow. It is exercise or nature therapy, really-whatever you want to call this activity. Just don’t start counting the steps; your garden doesn’t judge it. So, goodbye, our dearly departed friends-go-the leftovers of winter. The old leaves and branches did what they could and now must go on to that great compost heap in the sky. This is not trash; this is fertilizer for the times to come. Think of it as alchemy, only for gardens. It’s all in the setup, not as a burden, but a single step toward that magic.
Now add to your vision: chirping-a symphony of returnee spring birds as if the whimsy musicians. And they will not come just to serenade you, they’re coming for breakfast-preferably bugs. Welcome them with a feeder or, even better, with a bath, because nothing says “welcome back” like a splash zone for the feathered.
On to the colors—the stars of your floricultural opera. This is show business, folks. You’re the director of blossoms, orchestrating a grand performance. Look to seed catalogs—those pages are the garden version of a fashion runway. Throw in some wildflower seeds, too, for that splash of color to surprise at the most unexpected moments. Flowers are punctuation-the exclamation points in the sentence of your garden. And let’s not even get into anything as delicious as getting in some edible fun while you’re at it. Little says the seasons: lettuce-lined borders, strawberries peering from beneath green leaves like so many shy, red jewels. All so felicitous marriage-vegetation amongst flowers, part of your garden’s secret, the sort of thing you want to share, yet not really, like the best gossip.
Let water, the elixir of life, be the protagonist in your spring saga. Like humans, they get dehydrated, too, after a little snooze during the night. Meanwhile, do not be totally deaf to the morning dews. That’s nature saying “I got this one.” Later in the day, thereafter, using a watering can around the roots of the plant-not at it-unless one wants to throw a pool party for its petals.
Of course, your faithful gardening tools have also gone on winter break. Whetted blades, oiled hinges. you know shears would love that; you send them to Spa Day, sort of. Well, it’s a trifle; you never can tell: a bit o’ pleasantness must go to the tools, too.
