Great Escape: I Dream of Gardens

Growing up in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York, the only grass I recall was the two-foot strip of grass that surrounded my six-story brick apartment building and was shielded by a wrought iron fence.

So it was something of a surprise to find myself passionate about gardening as an adult.

When I moved to Westport in the early 1970s, and into my first home with a yard, I couldn’t wait to get my hands in the dirt and plant flowers, bushes and anything that would grow.

But, I made the fatal mistake every novice gardener makes. I went to the nearest garden center and picked out every flower and bush I liked with no regard for its growing conditions. Needless to say my first attempts were abysmal.

But, I was hooked. I read everything I could find on gardening. And long before computers were available, I filled notebooks with handwritten garden plans, complete with all my great successes and all my great failures.

When I moved into my first house in Newtown in 1979, I had compiled eight years of gardening notebooks filled with all sorts of information — the best nurseries, planting catalogs, and future plans for my property. 

The fact that my tenant at the time was a landscaper only increased my passion. For the next five years I absorbed everything she taught me. 

Gardening became my therapy — a place I could go to escape anything that bothered me. And, when my kids left for school, it became my great escape.

You too can take this great escape into the world of gardening with some initial planning. It also may be therapeutic to start thinking about that spring garden as an escape from the brutal winter we are having this year.

The best part, initially, is that you don’t have to leave your house — so you don’t miss the bus when the kids get home. All the planning can be done at home.

First off, it's really disheartening to the new gardener to purchase a fairly expensive plant only to find that it won’t bloom in a shady spot because it requires full sun daily.

So to avoid that, start by walking around the exterior of the house at different times during the day. Make note of the hours of sunlight and shade in each planting area, keeping in mind that as spring approaches the sun will move some. 

Then, take measurements of the garden areas. There are several, free and simple computer applications to help you plan.

Better Homes and Gardens free gardening planning application can be found here and Gardeners Supply's free application is here.

Both will allow you to conform garden plans to your specific measurements and exposures.

Once you have the form and conditions, it's essential that your soil is up to snuff for your plantings. There’s no point buying acid-loving plants and planting them in alkaline soil.

Check out this video on how to sample your soil for its PH levels. (Editor's note: Also find instructions on how to send in a sample to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station for a free soil test here.)

Once you know your soil makeup and your exposures, you can begin thinking about what flowers and plants will work in your yard.

Try walking through on Old Hawleyville Road in Bethel for inspiration. But be sure to check with their knowledgeable staff before you make your purchases.

Pardon the pun, but gardening is a growing experience with your knowledge evolving  over time. Even today after so many years of successful gardening, I still have some failures.

But I keep on planting.