It's Christmas Eve, who would be thinking about gardening tonight?
Only the diehards, those really dedicated souls waiting to see if some new tool, seed packet or other gardening goody arrives under the tree tomorrow morning. For most people, gardening is the last thing on their minds during the holidays.
Would anyone really go out to work in the garden during the holidays? Some do. There are among us the many hyper-keeners who toil tirelessly in tomorrow's garden. In small greenhouses, on little borrowed patches of earth or in little workshops they strive to grow their vision of a garden yet to be.
If you've grown anything from seed you will appreciate the nurturing and hope that comes along with growing plants. In community gardens for example, there are gardeners who visit their plot of earth almost every day to be nurtured by the hope of next year's garden. Some community gardeners I have interviewed over the years have told me their community plot is a "place of sanctuary" that they enjoy in all seasons. It's a moving experience to see that someone would love their piece of earth so much.
Keen rhodo lovers will tell you that winter can be a good time to walk among the rhodos in snow or rain to enjoy the subtle variations and beauty of the rhododendron form.
To really experience rhododendrons it is best to visit gardens that grow and show the larger, tree-like species. It is an amazing and almost primeval experience to walk under rhodos that are 30-or 40-feet tall. Being up close and personal under the sprawling canopy of branching and leaves provides perspective and an appreciation of what is possible in our own gardens.
If you're a tree person the sinew, furrows and plates of tree bark are at a peak during cold winter weather. Our very own native Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar exhibit some of the most beautiful bark in the world, a fact we West Coasters often take for granted. Unfortunately, we rarely get to see the full, mature realization of bark virtue in our B.C. native trees. There are simply too few old growth trees left alive for people to see and touch. Any gardener who grows trees knows all too well that he or she may not live long enough to see their young trees fully develop mature bark. I often wonder if the trees I planted on my property will survive the next property owner. I've tried to choose each tree planting location wisely. But only tomorrow's owner knows.
Even during the holidays there are people who continue to grow seeds or take cuttings from plants on their long list of musthaves. A friend of mine who is particularly interested in citrus trees gave me a tour of his small greenhouse last weekend.
His greenhouse is attached to the side of his house and has lights and a small heater. The greenhouse is made from thick PVC piping with two layers of plastic on top. He uses a small fan to push air in between the layers of plastic to provide extra insulation from the cold winter.
He grows citrus from any seed he finds and some that he orders. He told me he went to the grocery store and found the seasonal mini oranges on sale. He bought five pounds. When he got home he proceeded to open each orange, gently mashing each piece to find any seeds. The pulp from the oranges was used to make juice and smoothies. As for seeds from the oranges, he harvested 35 seeds that looked healthy and promising. Some of the seeds were refrigerated for future sowing. About a dozen or so seeds were washed, cleaned and sown promptly in seed flats in his greenhouse. We'll see what comes on a return visit.
When I was leaving he said, "Come back in a few weeks and we'll see what looks promising."
Even if half of those seeds germinate and grow to become fruiting trees, he'll have way too many citrus trees and not enough room to keep them. But that's not a problem for him or even the point.
For hyper-keen gardeners, growing more plants than they can ever keep is part of the fun and the obsession of growing plants. And the holiday season is just another chance for them to grow their love of discovering the possibilities of tomorrow's garden.
Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer and builder, teacher and organic advocate. [email protected]
