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Health & Fitness

Spring Into the Garden!

Gardeners Alert - It's Time to Dig In!

Even though it has officially been spring for a couple of weeks, it finally seemed like gardening weather this past weekend. With my usual early-season trepidation, I meandered out to the garden to finalize my garden plans. The garlic plants had already shot a few inches out of the ground and I noticed that some of last year's parsley had made it through the winter, thanks to a nice bedding of straw and hay mulch. The chives were starting to shoot upward too, and some of the heartier herbs looked suddenly alive and ready for action.

I had inoculated my peas overnight, so it was time to construct the new pea trellis and get those peas in the ground. (Microbial or soil inoculants are agricultural amendments that use beneficial endophytes (microbes) to promote plant health). Next came the white and yellow onions, followed by beets, swiss chard, arugula and radishes.  I transplanted a dozen or so primroses that had previously adorned my studio windowsill through the late winter months, and expanded my "primrose path" - a corny idea I know, but they are perennials here in CT and bloom almost all year long.

It isn't always easy to find the time to get out to the garden, as so much of my life now is about creating and promoting gardens that other people use—the community gardens at Armstrong Court and soon—the gardens we are planning to build in Cos Cob. But once I step foot in the garden, the benefits are many and completely undeniable. Besides the great food you can grow for yourself, the experience itself is as good for the soul as it is for the body. I can't think of any better therapy or exercise. I swear I look younger when I come in from a day spent in the garden, or at least I feel sort of ageless. Aromatherapy? You can find that in the garden too, direct from the source. Vitamin D? Yes, a little sun is good for you, and scientists now say that inhaling the microbes in the soil is good for you too.

Speaking of community gardening, Greenwich Community Gardens is hosting a three-season gardening series at the Armstrong Court Garden. Our first of the three classes on Saturday, April 13, at 11:00 am is called, "Maximizing Your Raised Bed Garden I: Growing More in the Space You Have" . Please  join Alan Gorkin, Horticulturist at Lake Avenue Farm, Greenwich, CT, as we plan and plant a 4’x8’ raised bed together. This class will concentrate on your spring garden and the cool weather crops that you can plant now. Plants for the demonstration beds will be donated by McArdle’s Florist & Garden Center and instructor, Alan Gorkin. In turn, the harvest from these gardens will be donated to Neighbor to Neighbor. Space is limited and the cost is $15.00. Please contact me, Patty Sechi, at: psechi@gmail.com.

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