MAINE-LY GARDENING: An invitation to garden

Winterberry

by Jude Hsiang

Are you thinking about starting a garden? Here are a few things to think about before planting.

Start small. Maybe a few pots of favorite flowers, herbs, or one cherry tomato. You can start with a few little plants at a garden center, get a few free seeds at a seed library, or extras from a friend. Gardening should be enjoyable, even if you are doing it to save some money, get a little exercise, or brighten up your yard. Don’t let yourself be tempted to till up the yard, invest in lots of tools, or keep up with Farmer Jones. You may find that you are too busy with work or family responsibilities to care for more living things. And don’t be ashamed to admit that you really don’t like gardening. You tried and it’s just not for you, but there are Farmers Markets, farm stands, and locally grown produce at more and more grocery stores and supermarkets. And there are other ways for you to help neighbors in need and support a healthy environment.

On the other hand, maybe you really do want to garden. Many people got the gardening urge during the pandemic, just as others took up painting or baking sourdough bread. And lots of those folks are still involved in those activities. Are you a bit envious of a friend’s flower bed, or uncle’s Bob’s homegrown tomato sauce? It’s time to make some plans.

If you have a yard, is there enough sun for a garden? At least 6 hours a day during the summer months will do. Is there easy access to water? Again, start small. Next year you can expand on what’s worked well and try a few more things. Your University of Maine Extension’s website has a wealth of information on getting started from knowing your soil, specific varieties for our area, preserving food, to caring for trees. Take advantage of the free, science-based experience available from these professionals who love to share their knowledge.

In addition to these experts, you probably already know some folks who love to share tips, extra baby plants they’ve started from seed—something you might want to do someday—or their prize-winning pickle recipe. There may be a community garden in your area. For a small fee you can use a manageable sized garden bed, share tools, and make friends with people you’ve only seen in passing at the post office. If you have a week’s vacation scheduled, another garden member will water your little plot in return for your help later on.

Grow things you like. Allergic to tomatoes? Don’t like kale? Marigolds don’t come in your favorite color? Don’t plant them. There are so many choices that picking what to start with can be overwhelming, but beans are easy to grow, so are zinnias. Just grow something! You’ll (probably) be glad you did. Whatever the summer brings, something good will be found in a garden, why not yours?

© Judith Chute Hsiang
Jude Hsiang Is a retired Extension Master Gardener instructor and member of the China Community Garden.