Garden Notes: Never say never

Officially, it is almost here, although spring is never early on the Vineyard. Whatever the signs might be, disregard them! There is usually a big disappointment waiting to ambush the overeager.

It is, however, time to get going in all earnest with plans and gardenmaking. Get whatever compost you have produced laid on your vegetable garden beds. The Home Garden Seed Association (homegardenseedassociation.com) exists to inform and encourage home gardeners in successful gardening endeavors.

Go to its website for inspiration about your vegetable growing plans, articles, pointers, and good advice. The Home Garden Seed Association is focused on healthy soil and how to achieve it, particularly with respect to encouraging no-till: “Be gentle with your soil!” Rototilling damages the unseen soil networks, such as fungal threads and soil’s micro-animals.

Fast food

As fast as any spring crop, rapini, also known as broccoli raab, becomes a healthy harvest within a month or so. Frost-tolerant and good for both spring and fall growing, pungent rapini is a no-brainer for culinary dishes combining pasta such as orecchiette; meats such as linguiça, ham, or scallops; seasoned with cheese; or just plain greens: bit.ly/GN_BroccoliRabe.

Checking in

Visiting the gardens reveals what has occurred over the winter. The two flash-freezes of February appear to have been hard on gaura, the culinary salvia cultivar ‘Berggarten,’ biennial foxglove, and some others.

In a few locations gaura is fine, ruffs of green around the bases beneath the wire-like stems. In other gardens it looks dead, and may not have survived. Gaura, a great plant for xeriscaping that is native to Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest, was not predictably hardy here, originally, but then began to overwinter better and better, as warming trends solidified.

The broad-leaved ‘Berggarten’ that we use in several client gardens will most likely rebound, but is showing a lot of dead wood. Foxgloves that would have rebloomed later in spring, with their masses of basal foliage that hold onto moisture, appear badly damaged, but again, time will tell, and they may come around.

In beds with soils that are well drained, dusty miller (senecio) appears to be a good survivor, contrasted with previous usage as strictly annuals. To prolong dusty miller’s life, in its second year it must be kept from blooming its yellow daisy flowers.

Some verbena bonariensis made it through; others are fully gone. Rosemary, which was beginning to behave like a half-hardy shrub in Island gardens, has mostly gone by the wayside after this past winter season.

Think xeriscaped gardens

A minute rock garden sweetheart, Iris reticulata ‘Harmony,’ survived the end-of-February blast. Most of the available and suitable iris species for rock garden or dry garden planting are listed in this article on rock garden irises from the American Iris Society: wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoGardensRockPlants.

There are quite a lot, and that is a good thing. They are hardy and drought-tolerant, diminutive, and cheering, not to mention beautiful in their tiny perfection. Take note of names for when bulb catalogs arrive later on.

Moreover, the principles of rock gardening — gravelly, free-draining soils for beautiful and fascinating plants that dislike moisture around their roots — will serve many Island gardeners well. Vineyard soil profiles contain more of the sandy, dry, gravelly ones than rich, loamy ones.

Furthermore, it appears that heat and drought are in our climate future. Why push boulders uphill continually when “right plant, right place” gardening can solve problems? When good designs and interesting plants are available for dry gardening?

Ramifications

Consider what you are doing when the over-perfected landscape and garden is the ideal you seek. This “ideal” has no justification, apart from aesthetics. Ecologically and environmentally, it is a desert or a disaster. Take your pick.

The discussion about Lake Tashmoo, the anchorage, shellfishing, and water quality brings to mind regulations already in place statewide concerning fertilizers. These are clearly stated in M.G.L. Ch. 128, sect. 65A “commercial, phosphorus fertilizers,” and widely flouted.

Are Island towns serious about protection of shellfish stocks, water quality, human health, and bays and estuaries from the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers and other forms of hazardous runoff?

Light pollution

Light pollution is another form of pollution Island towns can be much more effective at preventing. Shielding outdoor lighting downward will assist in this.

“Light pollution already encompasses about a quarter of the planet, and continues to worsen, increasing by about 6 percent every year with growing urbanization. Global light pollution has increased by at least 49 percent over 25 years.”

The BBC article cited above describes some effects of light pollution: “While its impacts are still being studied and vary widely across species, scientists do know light pollution is affecting how plants grow and reproduce. It disrupts their seasonal rhythms, their ability to sense and react to natural light, and their fragile relationship with pollinators. The more strained that relationship becomes, the more our food supply may be put in jeopardy. And just one broken link could create unfathomable physiological consequences up and down the food chain.” Read more at bit.ly/LightPollutionBBC.

Dahlias, potatoes

Start these tubers into growth now. This is sometimes called chitting: encouraging the eyes on the tubers into growth.

Native Plant Trust

Native Plant Trust (formerly New England Wildflower Society) has published its catalog of spring and summer 2023 programs, including certificate programs, both in the field and virtual. It is a stimulating offering with lots to engage gardeners, curious naturalists, and more. Go to nativeplanttrust.org/education for more information.

Martha’s Vineyard Community Greenhouse

Check out the community solar greenhouse in Oak Bluffs, formerly known as COMSOG: marthasvineyardgreenhouse.org. Become a member, volunteer there, and meet like-minded people, or simply support this very worthy Island nonprofit.

Rabies clinic

March 18, 10 am until noon. Public Safety Building, State Road, West Tisbury. Cost is $25 per animal. Call 508-627-8662 for more information.