Neighbours garden

Garden Clippings for June 28, 2025.

               My neighbour has been gardening all her life.  She started as a kid helping her folks in the garden, and has continued working the same plot of land to this day.  Her garden is bigger than any I have seen.  She gets help from her brother, and periodically her brother-in-law, but for the most part the garden is hers.   

               I’ve learned a thing or two from my neighbour (we’ll call her Lucy).  All basic, sensible tips that I should have already known. 

               Don’t start too early.  Lucy starts her cool season crops such as lettuce, spinach and onions early in May, but leaves the rest till June.  She knows that plants won’t grow in cold soil so there is no point in jumping the gun. 

               Don’t overwater.  Our soil is sandy and drains quickly, but Lucy won’t water unless it is dry, dry, dry, and the plants are suffering.  Dragging hoses around is hard work, and tap water is expensive. 

               Don’t worry about every single weed.  Lucy doesn’t keep her garden squeaky-clean.  She will carefully pull the weeds out from against the plants, but she won’t worry about the weeds that aren’t bothering the plants. 

               Don’t overfertilize.  Lucy’s garden is as old as Lucy herself, and gardens improve with age.  New gardens will benefit from additional compost and manure, but old established gardens are already nutrient-rich. 

               Put a fence around the garden.  Rabbits are a gardener’s nightmare, and the easiest way to deal with them is to put up a barrier.  Lucy’s brother found some used plastic snow fence that he cut in half lengthwise, and he puts it up every spring and rolls it up every fall. Snow fence is not pretty but does the trick just fine. 

               Grow what works for you.  Lucy grows lots of beans because they can easily be frozen and brought to the table all winter long.  Other than zucchini which she shares with her lucky neighbours,  Lucy doesn’t grow too much squash because they take up too much space.  Tomatoes, beets and onions are a favorite, but peppers, kale and cabbage are a no-no.  

               Buying started plants is easy, but Lucy prefers to start plants from seed.  She shops for seeds in January when the selection is best.  Tomatoes are planted a month before the frost-free date and are grown in the basement under artificial light. 

               Raise the garden beds.  Lucy is no spring chicken and raised beds make life easier. Plants are closer together, the soil mix is carefully assembled, and there are fewer weeds.  Lucy’s herbs are in pots, on the patio, just a few steps away from the kitchen.