Freeman - The spare-time gardener: tips and tricks for those on the go

the spare-time gardener

the spare-time gardener

Tips and Tricks for Those on the Go

Barbara Hill Freeman

Illustrations by
Abigail Brooke Allison and
Barbara Hill Freeman

Copyright 2006 by Barbara Hill Freeman
First Taylor Trade Publishing edition 2006

This Taylor Trade Publishing paperback edition of The Spare-Time Gardener (Tips and Tricks for Those on the Go) is an original publication. It is published by arrangement with the author.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

Published by Taylor Trade Publishing
An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Freeman, Barbara Hill, 1947

The spare-time gardener : tips and tricks for those on the go / Barbara Hill Freeman.1st Taylor Trade Pub. ed.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN-10: 1-58979-188-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)

ISBN-13: 978-1-58979-188-6

1. Gardening. I. Title.

SB453.F74 2006

635dc22 2005024581

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.481992.
Manufactured in the United States of America.

acknowledgment

Plants give us so much. They provide beauty, of course; but they also clean our air and cool our environment. They offer shade and shelter. They appeal to all our senses. People who garden have an uncanny connection to the green world. They know and understand plants. They speak Plant.

My plant-obsessed family, friends, and colleagues have been a source of inspiration, as well as information.

Thanks to botanist and friend Lauren Stockwell, who asked if I knew anyone whod like to write a gardening book. Yes, I would, was my immediate reply. She put me in touch with the Allen OShea Literary Agency, which led to my association with Marilyn Allen, who possesses just the right combination of enthusiasm, skill, good humor, and patience. The horticulturists, botanists, and just plain enthusiasts associated with Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens offer an endless stream of gardening wisdom born of years of study and experience. Most gardeners are like that; they want to share what they know. Pat Jeremiah is generous in communicating her tremendous store of practical and often arcane gardening knowledge; and she and Janice Serencko help keep me relatively sane. Dick Zieg and Bruce McElroy know all about practical gardening techniques and like to help the rest of us get it right. John Manion revels in his knowledge of the world of plants and loves to share it. Maureen Heffernanthe bossknows all about gardens and gardening. Thanks also to Ginger Carr, Dr. Elsie Freeman, and Marjorie Van Voorhis, whose home landscapes express perfectly their dedication to the art of gardening. They readily shared their favorite tips, plant names, and tools.

Mark Hutchinson and Liz Stanley with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension quite obviously believe that the world revolves around growing and gardening. That kind of fervor is catching, and Ive succumbed. Bob Boyd and his employees at Boothbay Region Greenhouses are a model for what the people who run a nursery should be: theyre helpful and knowledgeable, and theyre good listeners, too.

Theres been encouragement on the home front, too. One snowy March day as I was typing merrily away, thinking green thoughts, our building contractor, Eric Marden, and a carpenter were tearing into the kitchen walls with crowbars. Another couple of guys were hammering away at the roof, having just removed the latest foot of snow in what was a very nasty winter; and two men Id never seen before donned space suits and set about dislodging a square of asbestos left over when the antiquated oil burner was removed.

The renovation work on our old Maine cottage went on for several months. In the makeshift office, surrounded by boxes holding the contents of the old kitchen, I wrote as the dog and cats nappedall of us seeking refuge from the commotion and destruction. Whenever Id cautiously venture out to see how the project was progressing, the builders would ask in their genial Downeast way, Hows the book coming, dee-ah? These pages will forever be associated in my mind with my new, long-awaited kitchen.

Any husband who can put up with that kind of chaos and still encourage his wife to let the wallboard dust collect and let him cook the frozen meals while she writes about the fluffy subject of gardening is a gem indeed. Ned, The Mad Pruner, is just such a husband, and Im immensely grateful for his support and ideas. He approaches garden chores with gusto, and it was he who suggested a chapter called Plant Me Now!

My son and daughter, Zack Shenkle and Abbey Allison, both think working on a gardening book is a good antidote for writing press releases and newsletters. As usual, theyre right. And thinking of gardens and gardening certainly kept me from becoming totally mired in the details of planning Abbey and Shawns wedding. Watching Shawn Allisons concentration as he composes music is an inspiration to me as I compose in words. May Shawn and Abbey long make beautiful music togetherliterally.

Thanks, finally, to the good people at the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. They recognized that spare-time gardeners deserve a book that can encourage them to get great results by doing as much as they can... and no more than they want to.

And thank you for reading this book. I hope you like it and even learn something new.

introduction

What is spare time anyway? Sure, its time thats left over after everything that needs to be done is done. But spare also means meager, less than plentiful. Is your leftover time, your spare time, always way too meager? Of course it is!

That said, lets get on with it. This book is about gardening in whatever time we can eke out, what we laughingly call our spare time. Youll be amazed, though, how tweaking your approach and streamlining your efforts can yield great results in less time.

Gardening is often overcomplicated by experts, almost to the point of mumbo-jumbo. Granted, a lot of talented botanists, horticulturists, and other ists have come up with ideas and methods that really stand the test of time; and these practices should be observed and even cherished. Nonetheless, some gardeners seem to have too much time on their hands. They make work for themselves and then find a reason to justify it.

Were not going to do that. The be-all and end-all is to achieve garden nirvanaa place where youre happy with your garden but not too exhausted to enjoy it. To get there, you have to get to know yourself a little better; and you should learn, or review, some gardening basics. You have to dig in the dirt, handle plants with abandon, keep track, and do some watchful waiting.

To glean as much as possible from gardeninga beautiful and enjoyable outdoor space of your own, physical and mental health benefits, newfound knowledge and confidence, the pleasure of planning and planting, and the absolute joy of watching plants flourishyou should start small and watch yourself grow right along with your garden. Although gardening can be hard work, its better not to approach it as a chore, but rather as an opportunity. Its work with the potential to be immensely satisfying, not to mention lots of fun.