THE PATIENT GARDENER IN THE PANDEMIC RUSH

Everyone is planting their gardens. I drive down the street and my neighbor and his whole family are on their knees in their newly plowed
rectangle in the grass. I’m betting they’re planting their summer-producing veggies now—tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini, and a whole lot
more.  Hmm, am I running behind?

I’ve been a gardener for many years so I have this mental timeframe of when I plant. I’m not running behind. Not by much, anyway. I blame
the corona virus and sheltering in place. But really, I’m not late by much according to my typical gardening schedule. I’m a patient gardener. I don’t
like the roller coaster of cold and hot, and extreme winds of early to mid-spring here in Missouri. I plant seeds beginning in early May and plant
starts that I buy go in the ground Memorial Day weekend. I always end up with a vegetable garden that produces through the summer and into fall.

I’m also doing a switch-up for my garden this year. I want new, taller raised beds for less bending over. I have a rolling seat that I sit on so I don’t have to bend over. My chronic back and neck issues can make me quit and find the heating pad. A lot of bending gets me every time. Add twisting to the bending and I’m done a lot sooner.

What to Grow in Your Garden First?

For me, it’s radishes and lettuce. There is still time here in Missouri, barely. They should be planted by the first week of May. Radishes
are ready between 25-30 days. Yes, they grow fast. I start picking them as soon as they are the size of a large blueberry to thin them out. They are great
sprinkled over a salad without having to slice them up. Keep picking them as they grow—if you leave them in the ground for all of them to get bigger and
bigger, they’ll get hit with the heat of June and July. Heat makes them tough and spicy hot. I usually plant two crops—one in early March and one in mid-April.
I like French Breakfast radishes for my early crop and Champion or Cherry Belle for the second.

For lettuce I choose loose-leaf lettuce mixes. I buy the seeds for radishes and lettuce online. Several companies send me catalogs each
year so I can plan. Loose-leaf lettuce is a mix of lettuce like butterhead, romaine, other green and purple types. Loose leaf lettuce is ready in 30-80
days.

Keep It Cool

 I start cutting the lettuce when it’s closer to 30 days and by the time it hits 60 days the leaves are much larger. Just like the radishes, lettuce is better before the heat of
late June and July. I take scissors to my lettuce crop and cut the individual leaves, picking out the largest ones first. I take just enough for what I’m
going to use for the day. Some gardeners wait until all of the leaves are large and pick the whole crop at once but I hate having to wash and spin a lot at one
time. When you handle a lot at once lettuce leaves get bruised and broken. This shortens the keeping time and you’ll be cramming lettuce every day to keep it
from rotting in the fridge.

 Pick lettuce in the morning when it’s cool and wash it in cold water. If you wait until afternoon or evening to pick it the lettuce will already be wilty and
it’s hard to get the crispness back even soaking it in cold water. No sense in having wilted lettuce in the fridge. This did happen to me once but I didn’t
let it go to waste—I sautéed it along with spinach for a pasta dish. I love young lettuce dressed with good olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar for
either a salad or in a sandwich.

The Cold and The Nasty

We can still get cold weather. Think about how you will be able to protect your new little seedlings or plants, especially if one of those
crazy late frosts hit. We can still get them in May although it grows less likely in the first week of May and is pretty much out of the picture by the
second week.

If I plant early, which I have actually done, I use row cover to protect my young plants. This is a sheet of fine gauzy fabric
that you unroll and lay over your plants. It’s also called floating row cover because it’s so light and airy. If I use it for a cold snap I double it up or
buy the medium weight version. I cover my lettuce for the entire time it’s growing with the lightweight row cover. If you use it be sure to weight it down
with rocks or garden staples so the wind doesn’t float it into the next county. It keeps the wind from bruising the lettuce, gives a little shade, and keeps
bugs out. There’s nothing worse than going to pick your beautiful, tender lettuce for your lunch and finding spittle bug nasty all over it. You can wash
it off but that takes time and effort and that spit stuff is enough to ruin your desire for homegrown salad.  You can buy row cover at some nurseries and garden centers.  I buy mine online.

Flowery Stuff Too

I tend to focus a lot on veggies because I love to eat. But I do grow flowers too.  I like to plant my deck pots first and buy my annual starts for them. Then I get an instant pop
of color. The deck is where I spend relax time before it gets too hot. It has north, east and south exposure and in the summer that means I drink my morning
java there early. The birds are calling, there is no wind yet, and the sun is pleasantly warm on my skin. I like to look at those colorful pots during this quiet, mindful time.

If the temps take a plunge I pull the pots in close against the house. I’ll drag them under the deck chairs and tables. If the pots are too
heavy to move, I’ll put sheets over them. It’s helpful to get a couple of wheeled pot stands, especially if you have issues with your back and shouldn’t
be dragging ANYTHING. They are worth the money. I’ll even bring some pots inside if we’re going to get a surprise hard freeze.

Pansies are a popular early spring planting. Be sure to dead head them as the blooms fade. Pinch them off between your thumbnail and forefinger.  That will keep them blooming until hot
weather. The same goes for other spring, and summer, annuals. I use my clippers or scissors for plants with harder stems like geraniums.  

Keeping it simple keeps me patient. I used to be more ambitious with a much bigger veggie garden and would rush to plant in early
spring along with everyone else. Into the soil went seeds for green, snow, and snap peas, spinach, potatoes, and broccoli. Along with the lettuce and
radishes. But that was a different time. While in these COVI19 times I probably should plant all of those things. It goes with hunkering down and being
self-sufficient. Right now though, it’s time to get my lettuce and radishes planted. Simple.