This website has nothing to do with TV personality Paul James,
             The Gardener Guy of Tulsa, Oklahoma

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On Becoming a Gardener

Ms. Brown Thumb was surprised to learn that I went to my garden every day, generally several times a day. I gathered that she visits hers on the weekends. Good gardeners pull a few weeds every day, pick bugs, and marvel at the wonders of their flowers. It seemed she was also bothered by bugs, and I imagine handling slugs or snails would be unthinkable for her - though routine for me. Many of my gardening friends think nothing of squishing snails or Japanese beetles between their fingers, though others prefer dropping them in soapy water. Still, bug control is an important part of gardening.

Observation is important, too, and good gardeners often have to be amateur sleuths. If you don't see what's eating your squash leaves, turn over the leaf. Chances are you'll find the culprit. Or go out at dawn, or just before bed with a flashlight to see what the problem is. If you think striped cucumber beetles are eating your vine crops but you can't find them, be sure to look inside the flowers where they often hide. (I've been known to pick them out with tweezers).

Compost is important. My grandfather, John Lenat (1885-1967) was a great gardener, partly because he used plenty of compost. He served his soil and plants liberal doses of compost when he planted, and often gave his tomatoes manure tea that he made in an old wooden barrel. We mixed hen manure and water (roughly 4 parts water to one part manure), stirred it daily, and fed each tomato plant one 6 oz can of tea at least once a week.

Good gardeners love being outdoors, and don't mind getting dirty. Remember the character Pig Pen in Charles Schultz's comic strip, Peanuts? Avid gardeners are a bit like that. Maybe we're just big kids who want to play in the dirt.

For me, pets are part of gardening, too. I love their companionship, entertainment value, and help. Our gray cat, Winnie, earns her keep: she's a good hunter, reducing the population of voles, moles, and mice. Perhaps her very presence helps discourage them. Unfortunately, she also loves to use freshly turned earth as her private cat box. I've found I can deter her from doing this by laying a little brush over a patch of freshly turned earth. In a few days the earth is settled and less inviting. A good squirt gun can be a good deterrent, too, I'm told.

Abigail, our lab-retriever mix, is slowing down at age 9 but still deters the deer and woodchucks. Last week I spotted a woodchuck at our property line, eyeing our squash patch covetously. Abby and I gave (halfhearted) chase. No signs of woodchuck since. I've been hoping to adopt a sidekick for her, as she's been a single dog for too long. I'd like to find a corgi, as I gather they're wonderful dogs. After all, Tasha Tudor and the Queen of England have corgis - and great gardens. Maybe there's a link. Abby is enthusiastic, and says she'll train a newcomer.

I have a network of gardening friends, and we are forever exchanging ideas - and plants. Sometimes we have a potluck and talk gardens. I recommend it. Be sure to invite some gardeners who know more than you do.

Garden clubs are another great way to learn about gardening. This is the season that many clubs have garden tours. I belong to more than one just so that I can attend tours that are not open to the public. There is nothing like seeing how another gardener designs a garden, or the amount of sunshine or moisture a particular plant likes.

If you have a flexible schedule and can commit not only to classes, but to volunteering afterward, you can sign up to be a Master Gardener. The sign-up for New Hampshire's program has been extended to July 21 for this year's training, which begins in September. You can get an application by clicking UNH Master Gardener Application or by calling Marcy Stanton, Master Gardener Coordinator, at 629-9494 (x110).

Vermont has training beginning in February. For Vermont info, go to Vermont Master Gardener Program or call (802) 656-9562.

Maine's program varies according to county. Learn more at Maine Master Gardener Program.

Lastly, persistence and optimism are important for gardeners. More than once I've tried a new kind of plant, only to have it flounder or die. But, by trying again in a different place and different growing conditions, I've usually succeeded in growing the plants I really want to grow. So perhaps I'm just a fool for flowers, but I keep at it, and my plants give me great pleasure. Every day.

Henry Homeyer is the VT/NH associate editor of "People, Places and Plants" magazine. Contact him at gardening-guy@valley.net or P.O. Box 364, Cornish Flat, N.H. 03746.