Our mother was a passionate gardener. She loved the beginning signs of Spring growth, and I remember walking behind her in her garden as she pulled up dry leaves to find little sprouts of perennials starting to shoot up from their winter slumber. It always helped me get through the final snow days and lower temperatures that remained of winter, to see what was coming.
If you take a hike at Cope Environmental or Hayes Arboretum or even in your own backyard, you may be able to find signs already this year. Spring is coming! And with the warmer season will be more events to enjoy, places to explore, and longer days. (be sure to check our calendar at GoWayneCounty.com for new events)
With the warmer temperatures also come dreams for gardens this year. Avid gardeners may have already started sprouting little seeds in their windows or winter greenhouses. With groceries costing a bit more, it may be the year for budding gardeners to plant a few tomato plants or start a potato tower which is also a fun activity for kids. (see how to grow potatoes in a bin here)
It can also be a fun activity to create a picture of your garden and include the young people in your lives in the planning with maybe their own separate space where they can dream about what to grow this year. Fun ideas for young ones who visit or help in the garden include sunflower “houses” and things that grow quickly like green beans and flowers like marigold which also deter insects that may not be friendly to your vegetables. Or you can add surprise vegetables like carrots which are hidden until ready to pull out of the ground.
Gardening can create wonderful memories that last a lifetime, just as my mother’s gardens created memories for me: her many Iris planted around our house when I was young, and other perennial plants in later years. The smell of a freshly overturned spade of dirt will bring me back to warm sunny days in the garden every time.
Happy almost Spring!
(Be sure to check in regularly for spotlights on things happening in Wayne County and check out our calendar as we add new events often. You can also submit your own public event to our calendar as well)
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