The Imperfect Gardener

by Adina Sara

It is cold and dreary and has been for weeks. I hired a gardener to help me maintain things, and, luckily, he comes from the Midwest, so he thinks nothing of pruning away in what I consider to be freezing weather. As I write this column, huddled in front of my fireplace, he is out there in sandals, pruning the roses. I am a native Californian and spoiled rotten when it comes to gardening. If it isn't warm, I see no reason to go out there other than to pick up the occasional plastic bag that blew out of the garbage. I do worry about the bulbs coming back and wonder if it is too late to plant broccoli. Other than that, I satisfy my gardening urges by reading catalogues and trusting that everything is really ok out there without my help. This is a great time to sharpen your garden tools or buy new ones. I have wasted a lot of money over the years on cheap pruners. You don't need a lot of pruners, just one, so make it a good one. You must have sharp pruners to make clean, healthy cuts. Keep them oiled and dry. Be sure they fit well in your hand and latch easily. A good pruner is an investment. There is a reason that some flowers stand tall and majestic and others flop over flower stakes. Plant stakes and supports come in a variety of heights, styles, and specifications. Experiment with sizes and shapes so you can support everything from tomatoes to freesias. When you find the kind that works well, buy a lot of them. Good-quality stakes will last for years, assuming they don't get buried in the winter mud. Add that to your list of things to do. Garden Gadgets Gardening catalogues offer all kinds of wonderful gardening gadgets. But don't be fooled by needless so-called conveniences. The "precision seeder" for $25 allows you to drop one infinitesimal seed at a time, perfectly spaced. What's the matter with scattering seeds in your palms? The earth and water will no doubt move them around anyway. You can be lured by a huge variety of "decorative" plant supports, "self-gripping" garden ties, "waterproof" labels, and a ridiculous array of watering gizmos. There is one called the "noodlehead," which lets you arrange up to a dozen nozzles in different directions. By the time you've figured out how to place them all, you probably could have watered the entire area by hand and enjoyed yourself a lot more. Beware the coiled garden hose. I hated winding and unwinding long garden hoses, and the coiled hose appeared to be a miracle cure. Turns out, when it kinks (which it does), it is even more difficult to unravel. Adding insult to injury, coiled hoses are now available at Longs for a fraction of what I paid. And More Catalogues Shepherd's Seed Catalogue (shepherdseeds.com) and Seeds of Change (seedsofchange.com) are great sources for unusual imported and heirloom seeds you will never find in nurseries. Wayside Gardens (waysidegardens.com) offers unusual perennials, and John Scheepers, Inc. (johnscheepers.com) does for bulbs what Shepherd's does for seeds, introducing you to varieties you never knew existed. And if you are tempted by garden gadgets, you'll find pages of them in Gardeners' Supply Company (www.gardeners.com). By the time you finish poring through all the garden catalogues, it will most likely be time to go out there again and see what spring has in store. For now, it is just clean up and wait. You will get very busy out there soon enough. And there is a lot to be said for having nothing to do.