Mr. Green Jeans

“The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And, with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig.” Marina Schinz

Michelle Obama has nothing on Mr. Clark. He’s been planning his kitchen garden since late November, when he brought home a copy of Grier’s Almanac he found for free somewhere, and began reading it aloud.

Mr. Clark is nothing, if not an optimist, so he sees his recent period of unemployment as (among other things) an opportunity to “do some things I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time for…” Apparently, growing his own Victory Garden is one of those things.

He started by planting rye grass in my garden plot. Now actively planting grass in the garden goes against every thought I’ve ever had about gardening, but apparently rye grass actually improves the soil, so filling your garden with it during the off season is a good thing. Imagine my horror, watching, as a thick blanket of bright green shoots gradually took over the very garden bed I’ve battled to keep grass out of for years.

Next came the seed starting. Mr. Clark found a bunch of old seed starter trays in the back shed and painstakingly filled them with some potting soil (also discovered in the back shed). Then, he bought some seeds (I wouldn’t let him use the ancient seed packs he found in the back shed…), planted them, and in no time, had transformed his home office into a verdant nursery for baby plants.

As seedlings often do, though, they got leggy before it was time to put them out. (That is one of the many reasons I’m a plant girt – as in go to the store and buy a few already grown plants, when it is time to put them out…) But, cheery outlook never to waver, Mr. Clark thinned and watered and tended his leggy little buddies until it was near time to put them out.

In the process of turning the rye grass under, my own personal Mr. Green Jeans strained a knee ligament so badly he had to use a cane for a week or so…But, he did get the soil turned and was so excited about that, he jumped the gun a little and put the seedlings out just before that second-to-last cold snap.

“But the almanac said it was time to put them outside!” was his woeful cry. Plan B, plant seeds in the ground, which is what Mr. Clark did, just before that last cold snap.

“Let’s just wait and buy some plants,” has been my stance all along. But, unemployment also fosters thrift, and Mr. Clark’s position is, “that’s just too expensive…Do you have any idea how cheap seeds are, and how many of them come in each pack?”

So far, Mr. Clark’s radish crop is looking pretty good. I can’t say the same for the English peas, basil, and mixed greens. But, there’s hope…after all, it’s been pretty cold up until this week.

Given my lack of enthusiasm about his efforts so far, Mr. Clark was excited to read aloud every word of a recent USA Today article that stated the average home garden (not sure of the size...) costs about $75 to plant, and yields around $600 worth of food.

“$600 worth of food!” he cried. “I’m going to get some more seeds!”

His current plans include planting beans, cucumbers and zucchini from seeds. He has consented to the purchase of tomato and pepper plants. He’s also really excited about finding a white eggplant plant, like the one he read about in the almanac.

“Bloom where you are planted,” has been a favorite saying (and goal) of mine since we moved to the South, some 20 years ago. And, I have to give Mr. Clark credit for being way better at that than I will probably ever be. He accepts new experiences and challenges with enthusiasm, and tries ever so diligently to turn any lemons life hands him into lemonade.

I don’t know if his Victory Garden will yield anywhere near $600 worth of food, but it sure is inspiring – watching him hack away at it, ever the optimist, believing in the grand potential of each tiny seed, rather than opting for the boring, expensive surety of the already-grown plant.