Home & Design, Garden

Start a Garden this Year!

Never tried gardening before? There’s nothing mysterious about it. Anyone can garden, and I believe everyone should, even if the garden is just a couple of plants in flowerpots. Gardening is the most rewarding of activities, giving us a chance to reestablish our connection with the natural world, and affording us the satisfaction of nurturing our own little bit of the Earth.

So, maybe this is your year to start a garden, and now’s the time. Give it a try — you might just find out that you enjoy it. If you have kids, get them involved too. Want more color in your life? Grow some flowers to enjoy outdoors or cut for a vase. Do you like to cook? Plant some fresh herbs — basil and thyme, parsley and chives, rosemary, dill, tarragon — they’re a snap to grow if you buy plants. How about vegetables? There’s nothing like the flavor of a juicy ripe tomato picked from you garden and still warm from the sun, or crunchy sugar snap peas right off the vine.

We’re blessed with an abundance of local produce in summer from farmstands across the East End, so support our local farmers and shop there. But grow some of your own food and flowers, too. It’s not rocket science. Here’s how to get started.

First, pick a location for the garden. Look for a spot that gets full sunlight for 6 or more hours a day. If you haven’t got a bright enough place, try gardening in some big pots on the deck or patio. Make sure your garden spot is within reach of a hose unless you’re planning to install an automatic watering system.

The East End has some of the best farmland in the country, but my property has sandy soil that’s not very fertile, so I add compost and other organic matter before planting. If this is your first garden, do yourself a favor and start small. If you want to hit the beach on some of those warm summer days, keep the garden small. You can always expand next year. You can lay out your garden in rows or beds, or in pots on the deck or patio.

Deciding what to grow is the fun part. If you want to grow vegetables, plant what you like to eat. Leaf lettuce, arugula and mesclun are good bets for beginners. So are snap peas and beans. Tomatoes are a must. Eggplant has pretty purple flowers, and the oriental and Italian types bear long, slender fruits that are never bitter. If you want to include some herbs, grow the ones you use most often in the kitchen. Want some flowers? Plant them in colors you like. To have flowers for cutting, choose colors that will complement the colors of your rooms indoors.

As the plants grow, give your garden some TLC. Pull the weeds before they get big and overwhelm your plants. Or at least try to get them out before they bloom and scatter their seeds all over the garden. Water when the soil feels dry below the surface.

And above all, enjoy eating your own homegrown veggies and bringing indoors some fresh flowers you grew to decorate your home!

Soil Testing
To understand the growing conditions in your garden it’s a good idea to get your soil tested. Home testing kits are available at garden centers.

A great resource is the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Horticulture Diagnostic Lab. Gardeners can have a sample of their soil tested for pH and conductivity (soluble salts). Results can be sent via email or regular mail. Call them for information on how to take a soil sample from your garden and get it to them: (631) 727-4126.

Garden advice: The Cornell Cooperative Extension can also help diagnose plant problems and diseases, answer questions about plants, gardens, landscapes and lawns, or identify insect and tick specimens.

Their office is located at 423 Griffing Ave. in Riverhead. Open weekdays 9am – 4 pm. Or call their information line Monday to Friday 9am to noon: (631) 727-4126

Talmage Farm Agway
1122 Osborn Ave., Riverhead
(631) 727-3100
talmagefarm.com

Owned by a farming family, this is a great resource for lawn and garden plants, tools, supplies, equipment and more for farmers and gardeners. Plants are also available during the growing season, and there’s a great selection of seeds. Bird lovers will find feeders, houses and food. There are also supplies for pets, and chickens (they have baby chicks in spring).

East End Gardening Resources:

South Fork:

Enchanted Gardens
210 Montauk Hwy, Speonk
(631) 801-2814

Aspatuck Gardens Inc.
303 Montauk Hwy, WH Beach
(631) 288-3222

Hampton Nursery & Landscapes
205 Montauk Hwy, Hampton Bays
(631) 728-1160

Fowler’s Garden Center
175 North Sea Road, Southampton
(631) 283-5515

Eastlands Nursery & Farms
1260 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill
(631) 726-1961

Marders
120 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton
(631) 537-3700

Twin Forks Nursery
1471 Scuttlehole Road, Bridgehampton
(631) 324-0461

Wittendale’s Florist & Greenhouses
89 Newtown Lane, East Hampton
(631) 324-7160

Mahoney Farm
162 Long Lane, East Hampton
(631) 324-6574

Bayberry House & Garden Center
96 Montauk Hwy, Amagansett
(631) 324-6574