March 7, 2010<\/p>\n
I committed a random act of optimism today.\u00a0 Barely a week after the end of February I planted seeds in my gardens.\u00a0 The day was perfect for such behavior, the warm sun sowing its own seeds in people’s brains, sprouting late winter ideas: “Shed coats and hats, put on shorts and tee-shirts.\u00a0 Go run, go bike, go play a vigorous sport with others newly emerged from hibernation.\u00a0 And you, Gare:\u00a0 Go plant something!”\u00a0 And so, garden fork in hand, seeds in pocket, wife at side, I set off for the nearer of my two gardens.<\/p>\n
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In the small garden I planted what was left of last year’s lettuce seeds, some radishes and spinach.\u00a0 Part of the fun was anticipating doing it.\u00a0 Lately, I’ve been wanting to banish self-doubt and unnecessary caution in my life in general.\u00a0 So I emptied two of the little plastic vials of lettuce seeds, buttercrunch and romaine, from last year.\u00a0 Today, I will “risk” finishing all the seed I bought.\u00a0 What was I wanting to be so careful for?\u00a0 And besides, what’s the worst that could happen?\u00a0 Nothing will grow?\u00a0 Little would be lost.\u00a0 Even if only one or two of each grow, I’ll have greens for a salad, radishes for a snack, and the joy of watching them.\u00a0 Plus more room to plant something else.<\/p>\n
I was a little disappointed, arriving in the garden and seeing two other people already at work.\u00a0 Is my bold and wackily optimistic act normal behavior for gardeners?\u00a0 I wanted to be the only one, but I wasn’t.\u00a0 Maybe I must content myself to be a member of an odd-ball tribe of people who cast these tiny little bomblets of life into the ground where they can, against many odds, germinate, sprout, grow, and possibly, if not over watered, under-fed, eaten by critters or laid low by disease, provide food for the two of us with a healthy dollop of satisfaction on the side for me.<\/p>\n
The actual planting was uneventful.\u00a0 I made sure the buttercrunch seeds were barely covered with soil, needing light to germinate.\u00a0 I planted radishes and spinach about half an inch, or slightly less, deep.\u00a0 In a 60 square foot intensive garden I don’t plant in rows but in geometric blocks.\u00a0 If a radish needs to be two inches from the next one, then plant all seeds two inches apart.\u00a0 Why does this little patch need rows?\u00a0 For walking?\u00a0 For cultivating?\u00a0 Hardly.\u00a0 Just provide room for the leaves to form and barely be touching their neighbors.<\/p>\n
The radishes should be ready in three weeks, the spinach in four, the lettuce in five.\u00a0 I can’t wait.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
March 7, 2010 I committed a random act of optimism today.\u00a0 Barely a week after the end of February I planted seeds in my gardens.\u00a0 The day was perfect for such behavior, the warm sun sowing its own seeds in … Continue reading