Thoughts of spring are growing in my brain.
Perhaps this feeling is coming on a little sooner than normal because of this winter’s warmer than usual temps, but probably not. I normally start feeling the call of the garden this time of year anyway. I start missing the daily walks in the garden to note changes in the plants as they develop over the growing season. January and February are difficult times for people who like seeing things grow. Gardening experts warn us against jumping in too early, but it is difficult.
Becky and I both like to see things grow. For me, it gives a sense of how the world goes on, how the earth continues, with or without us. It makes me feel I am a part, even if just a small part, of some greater plan.
Since January we have been watching micro-greens grow in our kitchen. We received an LED Hydroponic System as a Christmas gift from Daughter Amanda. We planted some “Toy Choi” dwarf cabbage and Burpee Mesclun Spicy Mix seeds we had left over from last year. Now we harvest fresh greens every day which we use to augment our meals. It is a gift that keeps on giving. It is also one way to jump-start the growing season.
Last week in another attempt to hurry the season along we attended a Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program held at the Trafalgar Library on “Growing Native Plants From Seeds.” In a little over an hour, we were presented with information on native plant species and why they should be considered when deciding what to plant. Deb and Karen from the Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District presented a slide show and led the discussion.
The importance of encouraging Indiana native species has been an area of interest at our house for years. Now, you can’t talk about native species without discussing invasive species. For me, the awareness of the problem with invasive species came about many years ago when Becky pointed out the existence of multiflora rose, a plant which was and is all over several spots on our property. If a plant species can be accused of possessing conscious evil intentions, multiflora rose would deserve such a condemnation.
When we go out to do battle with it, whether in cold winter or hot summer, we dress in long sleeves, gloves and boots. We arm ourselves with loppers, hedge shears and occasionally spray tanks. We attack without pity the dragon thickets. Their sharp, vicious thorns slash at us while the twisting, entangling stems try to trip us up. It is nearly impossible to come away from such battles without war wounds.
The major problem with invasive plants is that over time they dominate an area. This drives out native species which have evolved in the particular environment over long periods of time. Because invasive plants haven’t developed with the local ecology, they often don’t have natural enemies. In addition, they rarely provide the kind of nourishment native animals and insects need to survive. It’s an old story: Human beings think they are altering the environment for good reasons and then don’t realize the hidden costs until things are out of control.
Working on the eradication of invasive plants is important and necessary, but the ultimate goal is to increase the variety and number of native plants on a property. At one point in the program we were happy to hear ideas on collecting native seeds as well as the optimal times and ways to plant them. Apparently, the program anticipated our eagerness to get a head start on spring, and we are already making plans to try a technique we learned of starting seeds using plastic milk jugs.
The Soil and Water Conservation session at the Trafalgar Library was well worth the time and effort. It added to my already excited anticipation of coming spring. Now if I can just restrain myself from jumping in too early…
Norman Knight, a retired Clark-Pleasant Middle School teacher, writes this weekly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
