HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
MASTER GARDENER
JEAN LAIRD

March will soon be blowing into our lives and our yards, inspiring us to dig into the earth and see what springs fourth. Luke Miller said, "Looking at nature with a new vision can help us find balance in ourselves and in our surroundings. We just need to appreciate the miracle that happens each season."

I hope to help instill in all gardeners, especially the new ones, that desire to maintain balance in their yards (and in their lives). Remember, just like the space in our home took time, so will a garden designed for outdoor living. The process is half the fun, but the rewards are immeasurable. Try creating a haven for quiet mornings with coffee and the birds and perhaps your husband, as well as a place to entertain guests. Let your imaginative juices flow. The most beautiful time of the year has almost arrived.

Have you thought about beginning with an arbor, or a pergola? If so, make it large enough to sit under and to entertain. Put your ideas on paper, and you will have a design project for the year. Add paths instead of grass, (less maintenance), a water and seating throughout the garden. For added beauty, plant a few small trees along the path you have created. Boxwoods are a wonderful evergreen to incorporate into your plan. Maybe make them have a design, or plant into a circle? Try using colorful containers filled with impatiens or petunias or other dramatic vines, place them along the path or in other parts of the garden or around trees or beside benches, as you choose. Use 4 o'clocks. These are an old plant that is very hardy, smells great, comes in several colors and is inexpensive. You can plant the seeds. They are invasive, so plant in an area that they can spread without interfering with the path or other flowers. These are a few ideas for you to play with.

You never get to old to learn. My son, Ronee (the gardener, fisherman, and cook), visited us last week. First he showed me how to fry fish so it would be nice and crisp. Take 2 eggs and beat together. Add a little heavy cream and blend. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Add your corn meal and a little flour into a brown paper sack and shake together. Take 2 to 4 pieces of fish that have been washed and place in the paper bag. Shake till fish is completely covered. Place into hot canola oil with a little olive oil in it, and fry till golden brown.

Another hint he suggested, he discovered by being adventurous. Buy long-stemmed broccoli when you can. As usual cut of the top florets, close to the part we eat, and cook as usual. Ronee's wife is very smart and peels the stems, chops and cooks those, also. But this time she didn't cook them. Ronee, not wanting to waste anything, took the stems, and planted them in a shaded area. Now he has broccoli growing and make florets! this is a must-try hit. I don't usually give cooking hints, but I thought these were to good to pass up. Bon-appétit!
The Happy Gardener
"There are no gardening mistakes,
only experiments." Janet Kilburn
Phillips