Gardening Year - January
It may seem as if the world consists purely of ice, frost, cold, dark and perhaps even a good helping of damp, but don’t let the gloomier aspects of January get you down. Surely there is nothing much more beautiful than a really bright, sunny albeit icy cold day? True, the weather may mean that there are quite a number of tasks you can’t easily get on with in the garden or, indeed that there are a good few things you would be better off delaying, but there is still a plentiful supply of things you can do if you have the time.
For me January is often a month when I plan and try to think ahead to gardening aspirations for the rest of the year and also try to crack on with some of the less plant orientated jobs - some tidying up or maybe even a bit of construction, who knows, but there is nothing better than a bit of gardening on a bright January day to clear away the cobwebs and cheer you up.
Green Thumbs Green Fingers
In America it is said that a successful gardener has “green thumbs” while in Britain they are said to have “green fingers”.
Those poor souls who lack for gardening skills are said to have digits that are either purple, black or brown. The worker who possessed the greatest “green thumbs” was also elected to make the first planting and sowing in a field before the rest of the labor joined in.
Gardeners, even to this day believe in having a close affinity with their plants, which may well be the source of all “green thumbness”. In fact the renowned plant breeder Luther Burbank once said that love was the prime nourishment a plant needs. It is fitting to note that during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake when much of the city was destroyed, not one plant or one pane of glass from Burbank’s greenhouses was harmed.
Day Of Week Planting
This attitude to planting is still observed in parts of North America, mostly among gardeners of the older generation.
Certain days of the week are considered either good or bad, depending on their significance. Fruit that is picked on Sunday was believed to return to the tree the minute it was picked. Friday was a very bad day for planting, being synonymous with Good friday and the crucifixion. There was a general taboo applied to gardening on Sunday - anuthing planted on this day was destined to die prematurely.
