Gardening and the Joy of Manual Labor: a Thought-Provoking Article by Matthew B. Crawford

One of the many pleasures of gardening is the joy that comes from manual labor and literally getting your hands dirty. When non-gardeners look at my garden and ask, "Isn't that a lot of work?" this particular pleasure is something that is not easily communicated nor understood. This is something that is not widely valued by our modern culture and therefore missing from many lives among both adults and children.

From The New York Times, "The Case for Working with Your Hands" by Matthew B. Crawford, adapted from his upcoming book, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work:

"A gifted young person who chooses to become a mechanic rather than to accumulate academic credentials is viewed as eccentric, if not self-destructive. There is a pervasive anxiety among parents that there is only one track to success for their children. It runs through a series of gates controlled by prestigious institutions. Further, there is wide use of drugs to medicate boys, especially, against their natural tendency toward action, the better to “keep things on track.” I taught briefly in a public high school and would have loved to have set up a Ritalin fogger in my classroom. It is a rare person, male or female, who is naturally inclined to sit still for 17 years in school, and then indefinitely at work."

Related Post: Last Child in the Woods - Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

How to Build a Planting Grid for Square Foot Gardening

In preparation for this year's vegetable gardening, I've been reading Mel Bartholomew's All New Square Foot Gardening (see below). One idea that I got from the book was to build a planting grid with wood lathes to stay true to the square foot gardening philosophy. Just as the book promised, it was easy to build and hopefully will make my vegetable gardening easier and my yield greater. Here's how I did it:
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1. Gather together your materials and tools: 6 four foot wood lathes for each 4x4 foot grid you want to make; nuts and bolts to hold your grid in place; tape measure and pencil; and power drill.
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2. Measure and mark your wood lathes in one foot increments.
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3. Pre-drill the holes in your wood lathes at each one foot increment. Pre-drilling is important as the wood lathe would likely break without doing so.
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4. Screw in your nuts and bolts to hold together your grid. At this step, I found that I actually needed to re-drill some of the holes, as my wood lathes were not all perfectly straight.
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5. Take apart and put back together again. Well, hopefully you won't have to take this step, but I did. As you see in the second picture, I realized that the grid was 4 x 4 for sixteen squares, but what I really wanted for my raised vegetable beds was 4 x 5 for twenty squares, so I wound up taking the grid apart and re-attaching one set of lathes at 6, 18, 24 and 30 inches.

Christmas Decorations from the Garden: Spray-Painted Alliums

Inspired by The Garden in Winter by Suzy Bales, I am making more of my Christmas decorations with materials from the garden.

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Earlier this year, I saved and dried my alliums for this project. This weekend, I sent my husband to the hardware store for some red and silver spray paint and then had some fun in the backyard. I haven't gotten around to using them in any arrangements or containers yet, but I think they look pretty neat already. I tried some other seedheads too, but the alliums were my favorite.

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Related posts:

Book Review of The Garden in Winter by Suzy Bales

Container Gardening: Winter Containers

Christmas Decorations from the Garden

How to Grow Amaryllis

How to Force Bulbs and Branches

Interview with Lawrence Griffith, Colonial Williamsburg's Curator of Plants and Author of Flowers and Herbs of Early America

As I wrote in a prior post, I very much enjoyed Flowers and Herbs of Early America by Lawrence Griffith, Colonial Williamsburg's Curator of Plants. After my short review, Lawrence and I got in touch and he agreed to answer a few questions.
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Q. First, I'd love to hear about how you became a gardener, particularly a gardener interested in heirloom plants.
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A. My grandparents had a summer home in New Milford, Connecticut, in the Berkshires. I was very beautiful. We had a 20-mile view into the Litchfield Hills. My grandmother was a gardener and introduced me to the culture. The Green thumb skips a generation. My mother was an enthusiastic, but no avid. The house stood on a six acre former milk cow pasture, so the soil was unbelievably fertile. I never fertilized. And then I was loaned out to gardening neighbors who taught me to garden, weekend-New York people. So I did everything the old fashionable way, wettable powers, etc.
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Q. What was the impetus for the book?
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A. In 2001 I was the recipient of a Mars Foundation grant that allowed me to study heirloom plants. It funded 3 years of live field trials, and 3 years of research. While I gardened, Barbara Lombardi, the photographer, would photograph behind me. And we put two and two together and came up with a project.
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Q. What are your five favorite plants in the book for the home gardener and why?
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A. Adonis (Adonis aestivalis) is a cool season annual with millennia of history behind it. If the seed is sown by the middle of March its cherry red blossoms emerge by the middle of June. Fall sown Adonis will germinate in the fall and survive the winter to bloom the following spring, like such things as Calendula, English daisies, and wallflower. It’s cheery, about 18” tall, with very attractive ferny foliage.
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I like the China aster (Callistephus chinensis), a late season annual, because of the relatively large size of the flowers in comparison to other antique plants. They make very good cut-flowers, and bloom at a time when the asters and late perennial sunflowers are blooming. China asters are typically blue, white and pink and either single or double. Gardeners who plant seed in the spring should expect flowers by the end of August.
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Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) is a tropical annual vine from the West Indies. ‘Cypress’ refers to the very fine foliage of the vine, also known Cardinal Vine. It also has bright red flowers, about ½” across, and if planted in masses it can cover a long picket fence. One caveat is that it is very prolific with its seed and can become a pest.
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I enjoyed the annual larkspur (Consolida ambigua) the most because it did the best job in reseeding. The aim of the Mars Foundation grant was to find crops of flowers that would reseed and come back the following spring. Larkspur now is germinating in my garden at home, the genesis for next year’s crop. Larkspur flowers in white, blue and pink and great masses of it can be achieved if it is left to yellow and set seed, and then disperse it.
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The scarlet pentapetes (Pentapetes phoenicia) is a tropical annual, with scarlet flowers, that grows to five feet, and is given to reseeding. In addition to its stellar flowers, its serrated foliage is a deep glossy green. This and the cypress vine abhor chilly weather and the gardener is urged to wait until the end of May to attempt seed germination.
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Q. What do you hope a reader gets from the book and why?
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A. I want the reader to know of the real beauty in older, smaller flowers. Prior to the great age of hybridization for larger flower size and longer duration of bloom, simpler flowers delighted millions. Barbara’s photographs really enhance the architectonic aspect of many flower forms and gives some glimpses into the origins of common names that have been attached to them throughout time.
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I’d like the gardener to become a little aware of the history of botany, that our plant legacy started with the ancients, and has become amended over time. The colonial plant palette still incorporates much of the Greco-Roman herbal, and I find that intrinsically interesting.
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I’d like the gardener to know of the rewarding experience of growing flowers and herbs from seeds, sown directly into the ground. While initially planting and thinning seedlings can be tedious, a gardener can easily amass a collection of dozens of species without undo expense.
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Q. In a world gone mad with politics and financial meltdown, what does gardening do for our peace, quiet and sanity? What do you tell younger adults who may ignore its beauty and pleasure?
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A. Like any other task, I think gardening can be meditative, if the mind concentrates on the task at hand. Frankly, I’d rather be bothered by lawn mower and tractor problems, vole problems, and drought, than the ups and downs of the market. A well manicured yard is a peaceful thing for me to observe and probably does more to restore my soul than anything else.
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Younger adults need to look beyond the ‘hard work’ aspect of gardening. As younger adults mature, they begin to learn that in the myriad ‘dull’ spots in life, a hobby, such as gardening, can be fulfilling.
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And gardening can be done on every scale, from landscape development to window box gardening. I don’t think you can ‘get the bug’ without some hands on, or a familial tie, such as I had with my grandmother who taught me the sheer beauty of landscape and gardens.

Book Recommendation: Flowers and Herbs of Early America

Last weekend, I visited the New York Botanical Garden and picked up one of the best books I've found on heirloom plants: Flowers and Herbs of Early America by Lawrence D. Griffith and Photography by Barbara Temple Lombardi. The title speaks for itself and every spare moment I've had over the past week has been spent absorbed in this amazing book. Each flower and herb has four pages to itself, with two pages of inspiring photography and two pages of history, description, and habit. Reading the text, you can tell that the author has actual first-hand experience with these plants.

From the flap jacket: "Drawing on years of archival research and field trials, Colonial Williamsburg curator of plants Lawrence Griffith documents fifty-eight species of flowers and herbs, and explores how they were cultivated and used...It...is an important contribution to our understanding of colonial and Federal plants and an invaluable companion for today's gardeners, who will appreciate the advice of a master gardener on how to plan, choose appropriate species, and maintain a beautiful period garden."

A Book Worth Talking About: Last Child in the Woods - Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

First published in 2005 and re-published in 2008, I first heard about Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv from another book, A Child's Garden by Molly Dannenmaier, which I read and enthusiastically reviewed last year. I'm reading it right now and would highly recommend it to anyone with children. From the introduction:

"Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically...Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment--but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading...

...This book explores the increasing divide between the young and the natural world, and the environmental, social, psychological, and spiritual implications of that change. It also describes the accumulating research that reveals the necessity of contact with nature for healthy child--and adult--development...

...Our society is teaching young people to avoid direct experience in nature. That lesson is delivered in schools, families, even organizations devoted to the outdoors, and codified into the legal and regulatory structures of many of our communities..."

An absurd example of this was written about in today's New York Times in the article "Build a Wiffle Ball Field and Lawyers Will Come," which reports on the local Greenwich, Connecticut backlash against a group of teenagers who turned an empty, town-owned lot into a miniature Fenway Park. The saddest quote comes from Jeff Currivan, 17: “They think we’re a cult...People think we should be home playing ‘Grand Theft Auto.’ ”

How to Prune Roses, Part II: Old Rose Pruning Secrets from Mottisfont Abbey and John Scarman

It was fifty-some degrees in Chatham today, so it was a perfect day to go out and continue my rose pruning. Today, I pruned another nineteen of my 150+ roses over two hours, including Ferdinand Pichard, pictured after his pruning (http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2007/11/tbd_492.html, pictured in bloom).

As a follow-up to my prior post, "How to Prune Roses, Part I" (http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-to-prune-roses-part-i-introduction.html), here is some additional, hard-earned advice on rose pruning.

When I first started growing old roses, I followed the traditional pruning instructions to prune once bloomers after their summer flush. This did not work. Each spring, as the roses pushed out new growth and became laden with blossoms, the shrubs would splay such that they obstructed the paths in the garden, toppled over the perennials around them, and often brought each other down. Those that weren't laying on the ground remained upright only with the support of many bamboo stakes. There had to be a better way.

I found the answer in a book called Gardening With Old Rosesby John Scarman published in 1996. He has vast experience with old roses through his work at Rosemany Verey's Barnsley House (http://www.barnsleyhouse.com/THEGARDENS.html), with David Austin (http://www.davidaustinroses.com/), and at his own nursery which specializes in old roses (http://www.cottagegardenroses.com/).

Scarman prunes his old roses three times a year. The first pruning is done during the dormant season and the roses are cut to what he calls pruning height. This is a little below the height you want the roses to be during the summer and it is at the height where there are enough strong canes on the outside to provide support to the more flexible inner canes. The second pruning is done just as the buds are showing color. Its aim is to remove non blooming vegetative growth. This showcases the flowers and redirects the rose's energy to produce more stems. The third pruning happens in late summer where the roses are pruned back to where they flowered and are shaped.

For more information on how to do the first pruning and to see it done, there is an invaluable DVD available from Ashdown Roses (http://www.ashdownroses.com/) of a seminar they held with David Stone from Mottisfont Abbey (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-mottisfont/), the garden of Graham Stuart Thomas. He demonstrates the technique to get totally self supporting shrubs with no bamboo supports in sight.

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For "How to Prune Roses, Part I: An Introduction" click here:
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-to-prune-roses-part-i-introduction.html.
For "How to Prune Roses, Part III: Why Prune?" click here:
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-prune-roses-part-iii-why-prune.html.

How to Prune Roses, Part I: An Introduction to One Gardener's Observations on Pruning Her 150+ Roses

On Monday, the temperature reached 65 degrees. I could not stay inside, so I began my early season rose pruning. This is the first of several posts that I plan to write on rose pruning because that is most of what I do in the garden in February and March.

Rose pruning is a year-round job, but a significant part of it happens now. In my garden, I have about 150 roses representing 95 varieties. About half of my roses are once blooming species and old European roses. Most of the other half is a mix of Rugosas, Portlands, Hybrid Perpetuals, Chinas, David Austin roses, Bourbons, and Ramblers. I also have a few Noisettes that are hardy to zone 6 and modern shrubs.

The first step to all pruning is gathering your tools: Felco hand pruners, loppers, glue, gloves, and a bucket to collect the prunings. If you haven't sharpened and cleaned your tools already, it's time to do so. There are lots of simple sharpeners out there and sharp tools make pruning easier and are better for the rose. For older shrubs with very thick canes or to pull out material without thrusting your hand into the middle of the bush, loppers are handy.

As I prune, I seal every cut with Elmer's glue to deter bores from entering the freshly cut stems. I got this tip from the DVD Secrets of a Rose Gardener. If you haven't seen this, it's a wonderful day with rosarian who started as a garden volunteer to became the head rosarian at Long Island's Planting Field Arboretum. I've been glueing for three years now. From observation in my garden, this does help prevent the borers from damaging the fresh cuts.

When I prune roses, I sometimes start barehanded, but I always regret it and end up going back to the house for gloves. The thing I don't like about most gloves is that to be thick enough to not let the thorns in, the gloves restrict the movement of your hand. Last year, however, I bought a pair of rose pruning gloves from West County Glove that are wonderful. They go up to my elbow and allow very free movement of my hands and wrist.

I also get a kneeler because most roses require you to get down onto the ground to have a good look and them. Lastly, I bring out a bucket or large garbage can to hold all my prunings to make clean up easier. My favorite buckets are Tubtrugs.

*****

For "How to Prune Roses, Part II: Old Rose Pruning Secrets" click here:
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-prune-roses-part-ii-old-rose.html.

For "How to Prune Roses, Part III: Why Prune?" click here:
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-prune-roses-part-iii-why-prune.html.

Some of Heirloom Gardener's Must-Have Gardening Books

The Garden in Winter by Suzy Bales

The winter is my time for armchair gardening. Also, during the winter I always give the garden a hard look to see how I can improve it next spring to increase its winter beauty. I was thrilled to read Suzy Bales recently published book The Garden in Winter. I have read many books on winter gardens, but this is the best so far because of the breath of the information. It covers not only the garden, but indoor decorations made from material cut from the garden and various other winter occupations.

As expected Bales highlights various plants that add to the seasonal beauty of the garden, but goes beyond the laundry list to include her own experience in growing these plants. She grows Petasites japonicus, for example. Although, the plant blooms in very early spring and has distinctive leaves, its size and spreading habit allows Bales to only recommende it with caveats.

Throughout the book are many short essays on topics related to winter which are very interesting and informative. In these essays, Bales profiles many people and gardens that make use of the season in spectacular ways. For example, she interviews Les Brake, a gardener in Willow, Alaska, who is passionate about making sculptural ice lanterns to fight off the winter doldrums. His work is amazing and inspiring.

I love snowdrops. Every winter when I walk the garden I look with anticipation to see if they have begun to come up. I was thrilled to find Bales profile on Temple Nursery which specializes in hard to find and rare snowdrop cultivars sold in the green.

Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening 2008 Calendar

I just got my Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening 2008 Calender. I love it. It has wonderful full color illustrations and just enough room to keep your appointments, but not take up too much space.

The best part is the gardening folklore, advice, and hints which are included each month relating to the garden chores, weather, and plants expected that month. On the last page is listed the planting times for an array of vegetables according to your region of the country. The calender also includes a preview of the gardening article for the month which can be read on the Farmer's Almanac website.

Related post: Old Farmer's Almanac Spring Planting Schedule; How to Build Raised Vegetable Beds; and Raised Vegetable Beds - Organically Preparing the Soil for Planting

English Gardens: Wisley Through the Seasons

Tonight was movie night. The kids wanted to watch Oliver Twist, but I won and we watched Wisley Through the Seasons. Wisley Through the Seasons is about Garden Wisley which is managed by the Royal Horticultural Society:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/Gardens/wisley/

The movie is beautiful and inspiring, though not instructional. I hope to visit Garden Wisley in person some day, but until then, this is as close as I can get.

English Gardens: Elements of Organic Gardening by HRH Prince of Wales

I read the following review of Prince Charles's new book in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/23/garden/23highgrove.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

After reading the review, I couldn't wait to get it, as it had already been printed in the UK, but not yet in the US. I pre-ordered it and waited with baited breath. When it finally arrived a few weeks later, I was not disappointed. It was a trove of wonderful information that was applicable to my very own suburban garden. Okay, my less than half an acre doesn't compare to Highgrove, but the Prince does have about one full-time gardener per acre or two. One thing that the Prince can't do organically--even with a royal staff--is keep a proper lawn. Instead, he keeps green spaces that that are mowed. A proper lawn--a monoculture of a specific grass--is just too prone to disease and weeds to manage organically.

The Elements of Organic Gardening

Garden to Vase by Linda Beutler

I purchased Garden to Vase: Growing and using your own cut flowers by Linda Beutler earlier this year. It is the first book on cut flowers that is addressed to the gardener, unlike most flower arranging books that assume you are buying the flowers from a florist. While not all of the information is from first-hand knowledge, it is enough of a start for you to experiment on your own. You can find the book on at:

Garden to Vase: Growing and Using Your Own Cut Flowers

Gardening with Children: A Child's Garden by Molly Dannenmaier

I hope that by teaching children to love nature that as adults they will save and maintain native and heirloom plants. With that in mind, I am always looking for ideas and information to help kids fall in love with the garden. A Child's Garden by Molly Dannenmaier is the best book I've read on creating a garden for both children and parents in an average backyard:

A Child's Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for Children

The book offers information on how children play, which garden elements provide essential sparks for imaginative play, and how to integrate this into a residential garden. Photographs support the text by giving concrete examples of how to affect these ideas.

This coming spring I'm planning to incorporate several of these ideas into my own garden. Here are four of my upcoming projects:

• create a space for kids to dig besides the vegetable garden
• build a bin to gather natural materials such as seed pods, sticks, pine cones, and leaves as material for creating
• make simple topiaries with wire frames with the kids
• plant a living hiding spot with either a weeping mulberry, ornamental grasses, or a tepee made with grape or bean vines

Other good books I've read on kids' gardens are Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots and Great Gardens for Kids.

Related post: Ten Tips for Planning a Children's Garden