Elm Street Gardens: Endings and Beginnings

It came to me sometime in the past couple of days that Mother's Day is next week. That means that I not only have to think about something special to do for my 99 year old mother, but also that the time for harvesting asparagus is about to end. (I admit that statement says something about the randomness of my mind, but what can I say?)

Our garden-writer friend, Tom Woodham, told me some years back that his rule of thumb for picking asparagus was to pick it between Easter and Mother's Day. Not terribly precise dates maybe, but it does give one a guideline, especially as to the ending date. Of course, one starts to pick it as soon as the first stalks poke their heads through the earth whether that occurs on Easter or not.

So we have essentially just one more week left to pick asparagus. Already we have a number of the fern-like fronds of the asparagus plants gracing the beds where we have missed picking the stalks. (I have been told that an asparagus stalk can grow four inches in a day and I believe it!)

Other spring endings loom: In another month or so, maybe sooner this year because of the unusually warm spring we are having, it will be the end of many of our greens: Lettuce, kale, turnips and so on. I am especially sad about the lettuces, as they are my go-to green vegetable for many a meal and, most especially, a stand-by for lunch. So while that ending is sad, I have to realize that the delights of summer are not far away. Matter of fact, we had our first offering of cucumbers at the Fall Line Farmers Market this morning. We have green tomatoes on a number of vines and plenty of other summer stand-bys in the ground and growing.

On the ornamental side, the summer standards of day lilies and hydrangeas are opening more and more each day now also. We like having plenty of blooms at Elm Street Gardens and Robert has been systematically planting hydrangeas of a number of varieties over the years we have been here. We enjoy their long lasting flowers and occasionally even bring ourselves to part with some of these blossoms at farmers markets. Day lilies add their cheerfulness to summer days and just plain make us feel good with their spots of color throughout the gardens.

Okay, spring weather is feeling like a thing of the past and summer is "hot" upon us and I’ve talked myself into accepting these vegetal endings and new beginnings., Now, what can I do for my mother on her coming day that is really special??

Suzy