Mary’s gardening columns were originally published in the Roane County (WV) Reporter and Times Record. Support local journalism! Subscribe to your local newspaper. Note: Mary’s column is still being published weekly in 2024, so we still have well over 100 columns yet to archive here whenever time permits…
Click here to view title list of garden columns in chronological order.
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May 13, 2020BrassicasBrassicas, cole family plants, are members of the cabbage family and include broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, collards, mustard greens, kale, and Chinese cabbage. All like cool weather and rich soil, and can take a light frost. Some kale can tolerate much lower temperatures. May 7, 2020Fencing Them OutYour garden has good soil, is freshly tilled and ready to grow many wheelbarrow loads of vegetables and perhaps some fruits (strawberries or raspberries). You have a plan. Next—you probably need a fence, to keep out the deer, groundhogs, rabbits, and the local dogs and cats (the dogs aren’t interested in your crops but may trample them; the cats look upon your soft earth with unseemly intent). So…how do you build this fence? April 29, 2020Preparing Your GardenLate April—time to set out plants, plant seeds, plant potato sets…but first, we need to talk more about soil preparation. In the first column, I mentioned getting your soil tested, but it can take weeks to get your analysis back, especially in the busiest time—now. Meanwhile, there are some quick and (literally) dirty ways to test your soil. April 23, 2020Starting Your New GardenLast week we talked about why you might want to start a garden, and some considerations for planning it. Let’s say you did that, you acquired some seeds (or have them coming by mail order) and have staked out your garden space. What’s next? April 15, 2020Your New Garden—First StepsWhy plant a garden? So many reasons! It’s good exercise, and gets you outside to absorb all that Vitamin D that keeps you healthy and cheerful. It’s a source of ultra-local, ultra-fresh food. It’s security, in case the pandemic or the economic aftershocks cause serious shortages later this year.
