bunnyjadwiga

Thomas Hyll, The Gardener's Labyrinth

The Gardiner which would possesse Cucumbers timely and very soone, yea and all the yeare through, ought (after the minde of the Neopolitane [Rutilius?]) in the beginning of the the spring, to fill up old worne baskets and earthen pans without bottomes, with fine sifted earth tempered afore with fat dung, and to moisten somewhat the earth with water, after the seeds bestowed in theses, which done when warme and sunnie daies succeede, or a gentle raine falling, the baskets or pans with the plants, are then to be set abroad, to be strengthened and cherished by the sun and small showres; but the evening approching, these in all the cold season ought to be set under some warm cover or house in the ground, to be defended from the frosts and cold aire, which thus standing under a cover, or in the warme house, moisten gently with water sundry times, and these on such wise handle, untill all the Frosts, Tempests, and cold aire be past, as commonly the same ceaseth not with us, till abut the middest of May.
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Thomas Hill, The Gardener's Labyrinth. first published 1577. ed. by Richard Mabey from the 1652 ed. (NY: Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 180.

Or something like that. Traditionally, I go visit my mother in the spring and we get out the plant pots and the little shovel and I get plants from her. I don't know why I keep doing this; after all, after the first year, I should have plenty, right?

This year, of course, I didn't have much, so I'm an easy mark. Plus we really do need more hosta for the shady areas out front and under the wierd needle chestnut out back. Leaving aside the fact that we were using 5-gallon pots, I got away relatively unscathed ( Read more... )