Day 138: The seed catalogs arrived in early January and immediately, I sat down to work on my order. Gazanias for sure, Celosia and Asclepias (neither of which I'd tried before), maybe some Cosmos or Calendulas or Nasturtiums for the hanging baskets. My intentions were good, but one thing led to another and when I had company coming, I piled the catalogs and the list at the back of the kitchen table in a stack of magazines. There they stayed, forgotten until a recent mining expedition brought them to the surface again. It was already too late to start the Gazanias indoors, so I shrugged and told myself I'd just pick up seeds at the store this year. Well, I couldn't find Celosia or Asclepias, so I settled for Painted Daisies, Red Flax and in a swing from my customary florals, Coleus for foliage color. I'll probably grow a few of those as houseplants as well.
Now it must be said that I don't hold with planting by the phases of the moon, despite my long association with The Old Farmer's Almanac. Their map shows my area in Region 2, but because I live in the mountains rather than the lowlands, I'm in Zone 7. I can't put anything out until June 1, and even then, it's a risky proposition. No planting timetable accurately reflects the growing season here, and if I waited two weeks for a "favorable moon," it might mean the difference between flowers and no flowers. More than once, I've had plants killed down by the first frosts of Autumn just as they're starting to set buds. Planting timetables are guidelines, in my opinion, and if they really worked, we'd all have perfect gardens.
I enjoy biodynamic gardening for the poetry--it allows for mystery. There are, as I understand it, at least three systems for planting in sync with the moon's energies. The Farmer's Almanac doesn't seem to be synced with any of them. A simple approach is that in the light of the moon (new moon to full) plant above-ground bearing plants (the energy being over the earth at this time). In the dark of the moon (just past full to new) plant root bearing crops (the energy being in the earth at this time). Some are claiming scientifically arrived at proof of the system. Frankly I don't care. I just like it. I like the moon, and I like being aware of its changes and I enjoy thinking I am like the ancients, looking for reasons, success, survival, and to be one with the earth and sky. There's poetry in that.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Farmer's Almanac does use the basic approach with respect to above-ground and below-ground crops. I've never actually tried it. My growing season is too short to accommodate development times.
ReplyDeleteI'm also in zone 7 (actually 7a). Here we seed or set out our starts mid to late April (elevation 1200'). Are you much higher?
ReplyDeleteNot so much higher, but in a microclimate. I can't set anything out until June 1, and I've had a killing frost as late as June 22. First frost usually comes in mid-September. Given cool temperatures in the first two weeks of June, my growing season is effectively about 90 days.
ReplyDelete