Panhandle Plantings
March is the Month of Expectation
by Val Ford, Holmes County Master Gardener
We must give Emily Dickinson the credit for the title of this month's column - but - she is not the only great literary figure to eloquently characterize the March gardener's state of mind. While Miss Dickinson succinctly summarizes our emotions on this cusp between winter and spring, Arnold Lobel more directly speaks to our condition.
For those of you who are at a total loss right now, Arnold Lobel is the author of the Frog and Toad books that we, and our offspring, have grown up with.
Last month we touched on a few aspects of seed starting. Once those seeds are set in the ground, our gardener's brain tells us that there must be SOMETHING that we must work at in order to optimize the garden's beginnings (and validate our abilities). Thus, I summarize Messrs. Frog and Toad's adventures from that great literary piece, "The Garden," in the hope that we will learn from their experience.
Toad is walking by Frog's house and comments on how nice his garden is. Frog agrees and thanks him and states that it was hard work, then gives Toad some seeds "and soon you will have a garden." Toad takes the seeds home and plants them - "Now seeds, start growing." He walks up and down the rows - nothing's happening. He gets down closer to the ground and says loudly, "Now seeds, start growing!" Still nothing.
As we all know, if you are not understood the first time, for whatever reason, repeat it louder! So Toad shouts, "Now seeds, start growing!" This noise brings Frog over and to the conclusion that all the shouting is scaring the seeds - they're afraid to grow. "Leave them alone for a few days. Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. Soon your seeds will start to grow."
That evening, with still no growth in sight, Toad determines that the seeds must be afraid of the dark. So he takes candles to the garden and spends the night with them, reading stories. Toad passes the next few days singing songs to the seeds, reading poems to them, playing music for them - all to no avail. "What shall I do?" cried Toad. "These must be the most frightened seeds in the whole world!" Then, being totally exhausted with his efforts, Toad falls asleep.
Frog wakes him the next morning to a garden full of seedlings and the conclusion that the seeds have overcome their fear and decided to grow. "And now you will have a nice garden too!" said Frog. "Yes," said Toad, "but you were right, Frog. It was very hard work."
The general moral to this tale comes from Soren Kierkegarrd; "Patience is necessary and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown." But so as not to take 'sides,' I leave you with a choice of philosophies. Choose your gardening path, and follow!
Thomas A. Edison: "Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits."
Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience."
Val Ford is a Holmes County Master Gardener. If you have a gardening question or problem, contact your local Extension Office or e-mail Val at FLSnowflake7592@aol.com
Page created and maintained by West Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. © 2001.
designed by embryo design