The Perspective

Spring is all around us, and with all the rain we have had lately, what a bright, colorful spring it is turning out to be. When one escapes to the out of doors, seeking a placid retreat from the office or classroom, as is irresistible this time of year, they are sure to find lushness in their surroundings. A walk along a midtown arroyo presents clear, sandy pools of leftover rainwater, and it’s hard not to notice that the ground underneath the thorny mesquites is covered with small plants, some sending up miniature yellow or purple blooms. The nitrogen buildup that occurs underneath mesquite canopies correlates with an especially diverse understory community.  On the edge of town, at the East end of Speedway Boulevard, a short hike on the Douglas Spring Trail leads to beautiful waterfalls and gurgling meltwater from the snowcapped Rincon Mountains. Along the trail, Ocotillo plants have leafed out, the previously dead-looking stems bulging with green veins. The tips of the Ocotillo show premature buds, promising showy red flower spikes that will float like flags above the hillsides. The Sonoran Desert possesses an opportunistic flora which is currently taking advantage of the moisture and doing enough swelling, growing and blooming to make up for all the months of drought in the past year.

In the home garden, most everything seems happy. (Yes, I did just use the word “happy” to describe vegetation. In my world, plants have feelings too.)  One reason for this happiness is that gardens tend to favor rainwater over city water, as the PH is slightly more acidic. This slight acidity of the water creates a more hospitable soil chemistry when it comes in contact with our typically alkaline soils. It was evident that the rains have been working their magic when I checked my tiny alleyway garden to find some monster white radishes. Over the past few weeks they have really gone craaaazy. Also looking good in the alleyway plot were some carrots, beets and a few garbanzo plants, which have started to flower.

As far as projects go, now is a good time of year to be thinking about growing your own herbs. It’s not too cold anymore and there are several months of ideal weather ahead before we get to the summer heat, when most herbs may not do much but survive, if they’re lucky. Many herbs do particularly well in containers, and do not need extremely fertile soil. A basic mix of  three parts potting soil to three parts compost to one part perlite (for drainage) should be about right. You may also want to add some sand.  Some plants to consider growing are basil, cilantro, parsley, sage, dill, rosemary, epazote (a Mexican herb used to flavor beans), and several different varieties of oregano. Mints can also be rewarding. Who doesn’t enjoy some iced mint tea after a long day of work? In general, the easiest to grow from seed from this list are basil, cilantro and dill. In my experience, it is easier to buy starts from a nursery for many other herbs. If you want to try your hand at herb gardening, the Tucson Organic Gardeners have a good article here: http://www.tucsonorganicgardeners.org/Assets/GrowingHerbs.pdf

Their website is very helpful with many other gardening questions as well.

As springtime blossoms around us, it’s tempting to wish for summer, the end of the school year and the freedom that will bring. I hope however, that we can all get outside and enjoy this beautiful season in the present, and find or create small oases of beauty around us. For it really is a wonderful time to dive in and appreciate all that we see growing around us. It’s a good time to be gardening.