Monday, January 27, 2014

Chin Up and Cheer Up!


Winter is a great time for reflection.  We can track where we've been and plot where we want to go.  It blesses us with new opportunities for the forthcoming year.  On icy winter evenings we can curl up with a cup of hot chocolate, sift through our gardening journals, and debate whether to heave the lamb's ears or the spearmint crowding the coneflowers.  Winter allows us to catch the spirit of children running amok in the candy store as we rummage through the new seed catalogs and drool over mouth-watering varieties of tomatoes. Life in the shadows brings a new outlook; there is gardening beyond Hosta and Impatiens.

Join me--Adrienne Ploss--as I teach a series of classes next month at Jamestown Community College (JCC) in Jamestown, NY.  The Wednesday evening classes meet 6:30-8:30 PM in the Carnahan Center and run for four consecutive weeks.  On 12 February 2014, I'll explore Succession of Bloom for the Shade Garden with tips on growing veggies, annuals, and perennials in shady areas and how to chart succession of bloom.  The following week I'll share secrets and recipes for growing tasty culinary herbs and maintaining them in Versatile Herbs.  On 26 February 2014, I'll reveal Great Groundcovers--annuals, perennials, vines, and shrubs--that are low-maintenance for the landscape.  Small Flowering Trees for the 21st Century wraps up the final week with a look at pest-resistant trees for the small property.  Register for these classes through JCC's Continuing Education program.

So don a gardening cap and march forward.  Pull out the gardening journal and flood the dining room table with seed catalogs.  (Some of my mail-order catalogs for organic or untreated seed include: Seed Savers' Exchange, Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and Hudson Valley Seed Library.)  Fill your cup to the brim with hot chocolate, count your blessings, and place that seed order.  It's time to count down the days to spring.  See you in class!