HOST) Tomorrow is Groundhog’s Day and commentator Henry Homeyer thinks it should be “grounds” for celebration.
(HOMEYER) I think Groundhog’s Day should get more recognition than it does. I don’t mean the Groundhog’s Day of Puxthaney Phil and weather forecasters with stiff smiles and hair. I think we should take time out to recognize that February 2 is halfway through winter. The worst is over. That’s worthy of celebration.
We really only have two months of winter. December is too busy and full of fun for me to consider it winter. There are the Winter Revels, the Garden Club Christmas tea, the hordes of family and friends visiting, and of course First Night Celebrations. And March? By then the sun is stronger and the days are longer. Skiing home at dusk I’ll be able to enjoy the perfect Maxfield Parrish blues and purples in the sky behind Mt Ascutney without risking frostbite.
January is the worst of winter, the longest nights, the coldest temperatures. It’s the month the pipes freeze if they’re going to, and the month I worry about my tender plants suffering from frostbite. We’ve made it through January.
February is also winter, and can be dreary. We need a little fun to start off the month. So here’s what I propose for Groundhog’s Day – or at least for gardeners: First, let’s get out last year’s seed packets to see what we have, and what we need to buy. Most seed packets have many more seeds than one can plant in any given year, so I store mine in the fridge or a cool spot in zipper bags. I’ve found that most seeds are good for three years, though I’ve used some that are up to five years old. Germination rates are lower, but for most things that doesn’t matter.
Then, let’s make lists. Lists of what we plan to grow in the vegetable garden, and what seeds we need to buy. Let’s get out all those glossy seed catalogs, and drool. Let’s dream. Let’s select some flowers and veggies we’ve never tried before, and order them. Let’s be a bit frivolous. After all, if we have too many seeds, we can always save them for next year, or start extra plants to give away or trade with our gardening buddies.
And lastly, for Groundhog’s day: Let’s go in the pantry or dig around in the freezer and bring out vegetables and sauces we made with last year’s garden produce. Let’s cook up a storm, invite over friends, and have a party. Maybe I’ll even open a bottle of that hard cider I made from all those extra apples in 2005.
It’s still real winter, and too early for starting seeds indoors, but in a couple of weeks we can start our onions and leeks. Then, by the first of March I’ll plant peppers and artichokes. And before you know it, spring will be upon us with snowdrops and crocus. I can barely wait.
Henry Homeyer is a gardening writer and columnist. His new book is titled, “The New Hampshire Gardner’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Granite State.”