Gardening
One of the quiet joys of life in the southern part of Ontario, Canada, is gardening. Whether pursued as a hobby or solely to improve the esthetic value of one's home, the pleasure derived is only exceeded by the therapeutic benefit. The exercise involved in working in a garden is helpful in keeping people in good physical condition.
It has become a ritual for homeowners to spend late winter weekends browsing through seed catalogues while sitting on their couch. They make lists of items they wish to purchase and often make notations right on the catalogue as they make decisions about this year's garden.
If they order early, there is usually a discount coupon, allowing a percentage of the cost to be deducted from the price. Often the coupon needs to be detached from the catalogue and mailed to the company along with the order. This is an extra bonus for the consumer. The investment cost required is nominal when the amount of pleasure generated is considered. The seed companies will usually warrant the plants, and often a refund is offered if the plants do not thrive. The shipment from the seed company's warehouse is awaited with eager anticipation. Its appearance means that spring will soon arrive.
The glossy pages of the catalogues provide a preview of the visual delights that can be grown. Pictures show an array of flowers that dazzle the eye. There are monochromatic displays as well as others that are a fusion of the complete spectrum of the rainbow's colors. Also included in the publication are pictures and descriptions of vegetables, shrubs, and trees.
Avid gardeners subscribe to magazines that specialize in articles and ads about this enjoyable pastime and people literally read each issue from cover to cover.
Descriptions of plants include implicit instructions on whether to plant them in sun or shade. Specification as to the amount of irrigation required is also stated. Elaborate irrigation systems are sometimes installed or a trench for improving the water flow is used. Controls are needed on irrigation systems because if the ground becomes too saturated the soil in the garden will be too muddy to allow anyone to work in it until it dries out. If there is too much water constantly, the garden will become a swamp and impossible to cultivate. (Many people like to preserve the natural habitat of birds and wildlife in a marsh. These areas are usually protected by the government and although important to our environment, are not considered gardens.)
Geographic location is important for plants. Certain plants are only suitable for propagation close to the equator. Others need to be several degrees of latitude away from the equator. Longitude is also a factor and most companies clearly state the conditions that will provide the optimum chances for the plants survival. Canadians grow tulips imported from Holland and they do well in the Southern Ontario climate.
Because it is late spring before plants can survive outdoors in Southern Ontario, it is common for people to start their plants indoors. Seeds are planted in small containers and continue to grow indoors until the appropriate size is achieved. Sometimes ultraviolet light is used to encourage plant growth. When the mercury rises and the danger of frost is past, the plants are then transplanted to the garden or to a flowerbed.
Plants are nourished from the soil, but to provide optimum food, fertilizer can be applied to encourage vigorous growth. Sometimes fertilizer is diluted with water while other kinds are dispersed with a spreader that flings the fertilizer granules in a small radius around the plants. The water soluble fertilizer will then be absorbed into the soil the next time it rains. Just as people need minerals, such as calcium and zinc, to be healthy, plants also need minerals but phosphorous and nitrogen are better food for them.
Some gardeners plan their garden with meticulous attention to detail. They choose colors that will complement each other and design their garden as if they were painting on a canvas. Others are more spontaneous and simply visit a nursery and purchase plants that appeal to them. Often gardeners have a trademark plant that is their specialty. Perhaps they enjoy the velvet texture of the leaves, or maybe the flower's color attracts them.
The varieties of gardens are endless. Terrace gardening has become popular. With a herbal garden, cooks enjoy being able to use fresh herbs from their garden to add zest to their favorite dishes. They simply visit their garden and clip a few pieces of the herb they wish to use.
Every garden is as individual as its owner. Gardens come in all shapes and sizes. Some are in the shape of a rectangle, while others are circular or irregular in shape. Some gardeners like the appearance of an asymmetrical shape while others work to achieve symmetry in their gardens. For vegetable gardens, the most popular shape is rectangular and vegetables are usually planted in a linear fashion. This method makes it easier to cultivate between the rows of plants. You could mistake some gardens for a meadow when the gardener chooses to include only wildflowers as a choice of vegetation. Including a pond in a garden is popular too.
Entrepreneurs are always looking for innovations and gadgets that will attract the attention of devoted gardeners and induce them to spend their money. It has become a huge industry in the last few years, as the baby boomers reach retirement age and have more time to pursue hobbies such as gardening. There are new products patented every year to tempt the gardener.
It is possible to buy a kit that contains a complete set of tools needed by the home gardener. Unfortunately, often the quality is poor and the product is a fraud. Instead of having something good to work with, the purchase turns out to be junk.
If you want to flatter a gardener, and boost their ego at the same time, summon up the courage to simply ask if you can swap plants. Of course, it will give them a thrill if you also compliment them on the hardiness of their plants as compared to yours. They might even try to console you on your lack of competence as a gardener because your plants are not as sturdy as their plants.
Irrespective of the competence of the gardener, anyone who augments the number of plants grown is helping to conserve our planet by averting erosion. This pays great dividends for everyone as it also serves to protect the ozone layer.
Some people erect barricades to keep small animals from attacking the plants. Squirrels love to dig up flower bulbs. They find them a tasty treat.
It is common to see ceramic fixtures or figurines in a garden. Even the untrained eye can tell that the imitations are a fake, yet properly placed, they add to the intrinsic beauty. A rain gauge, attached by a bracket to a fence, is a common sight and is used to enable the gardener to diagnose the moisture level of the soil around the plants and determine if they need more water. If nature does not provide enough rain, then the gardener will use a plastic or rubber hose to provide more irrigation. With a twist of a knob, or by moving a lever, the thirst of the plants for moisture can be quenched.
What greater pleasure, than to work in your garden and as you clip the overgrown plants back to size or prune branches of fruit trees, hear the buzz of bees? You know that they are enjoying your garden as they extract the pollen from the blooms. You relish the feeling that you are one with nature. The hum of insects as they share the garden is more pleasurable than music from a stereo or a symphony to a devoted gardener. In addition, the scent of the flowers is an integral part of the joy of spending time working in a garden.
The irony of the situation is that nature sometimes conspires against the gardener, and a hailstorm can riddle beautiful plants, shredding their leaves in minutes. Hurricanes can uproot even the
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