I figure I will just dive in to this post since I spent the whole morning online trying to plan my mega-garden and now feel that I have much to say! And none of it has to do directly with gardening! Instead, its more of the confusion in planning for the spring/summer and thoughts on what gardening entails in modern life. A great book that made me really meditate on this subject is Michael Pollan’s Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education. As usual Pollan adeptly blends his own gardening experiences with the history of horticulture. As an aside, if it is just the plant stories you are interested in Pollan wrote a book called The Botany of Desire (also an excellent documentary) that delves into the histories of four of the most influential plants in human history. What Second Nature offers is a look at the what the act of gardening means to people, how it signifies a person’s place in the human culture and where the balance is between clear-cut nature control and letting nature run rampant around your home and yard. After scolding myself for not being a more prepared gardener (I am only now starting to write modest plan of what I think I want to grow) I make sure to remember this book and how an appreciation for what is going on in your yard, whether you have it under total control or not is the new essence of gardening.
As I was researching my hopes and dreams for a more substantial garden this year I ran into the familiar feeling of needing to go shopping. I don’t have the right seed starter, I don’t have seeds, my garden tools are lacking, I could stand to have a soil testing kit, and so on and so forth. Then, I remembered my very current experience with gardening. It has been limited to fall and spring planted bulbs. My favorites for fall planting are hyacinth, tulip and crocus. I know something else is planted out there but I cannot for the life of me remember what it is! Spring plantings have been a little less successful simply because I have the worlds shadiest yard and most of the popular flowers for summer demand an intense amount of sun (never shall I get to enjoy a lily) But, my luck has been with begonias and anemones. Everyday I leave the house I always peruse the garden bed which stretches from underneath my living room window to the driveway. There has been snow, drenching rain, hard freezes and lots of wind this winter, but I am astonished to report that right on schedule, my crocus from not last November but the November before that have come back with force and became a thick strip of orange, white and purple edging. This in concert with the peeking tulips (both old and new), hyacinth (old) and a couple of lavender plants that beautifully wintered has made me absolutely appreciate the effortless work of Mother Nature. I realize that any effort I make to add to my surroundings will be met with just the right energy from Mother Nature. With this thought in mind, I will be grabbing some seed packets, picking a pretty good spot and forging ahead with sunflowers, potatoes and beans. Hopefully Mother Nature agrees with me 🙂
Adventures in Green from the Emerald City 
Our maritime climate is perfect for growing veggies. Go for it! Take good notes of what grows well and where. Don’t give up on a crop before trying it in a different spot in the yard!
I’m sure she will 🙂 It works for me every time.