“God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.” – Francis Bacon, philosopher
FARMER’S ALMANAC MARCH 15 - 31
15th – 16th, Any root crops that can be planted now will do well.17th – 18th, A barren period, best suited for killing plant pests. Do plowing and cultivating. Good harvest days.
19th – 20th, Good for planting cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and other vine crops. Set strawberry plants. Good days for transplanting. Favorable days for planting beets, carrots, radishes, salsify, turnips, peanuts, and other root crops.
21st – 22rd, Cultivate and spray, do general farm work, but no planting.
23rd – 24th, Fine for planting crops bearing yield above the ground.
25th – 27th, Any seed planted now will tend to rot.
28th – 29th, Excellent for sowing seedbeds and flower gardens. Best planting days for aboveground crops, especially peas, beans, cucumbers, and squash where weather permits.
30th – 31st, A most barren period, best for killing plant pests or doing chores around the farm.
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” – Alfred Austin, writer and poet.
FARMER’S ALMANAC APRIL 1 - 15:
1st – 3rd, Grub out weeds, briars, and other plant pests.
4rd – 6th, A favorable time for sowing grains, hay, and fodder crops. Plant flowers. First two days are when to plant corn, melons, squash, tomatoes, and other aboveground crops. Last day is a favorable day for planting root crops.
7th – 8th, Start seedbeds. Good days for transplanting. Good days for planting beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, peanuts, and other root crops. Also good for leafy vegetables.
9th – 10th, Neither plant nor sow on these barren days.
11th – 12th, Favorable days for planting beets, turnips, radishes, onions, and other root crops.
13th – 14th, Excellent time to kill weeds, briars, poison ivy, and other plant pests. Good harvest days.
15th – 16th, Set strawberry plants. Excellent for any vine crops, such as beans, peas, and cucumbers. Good days for transplanting. Favorable days for planting root crops.
I know that not everyone would agree with me, but to me the growing and nurturing of plants is a way to connect with God’s creation; to remind myself of who I am and to enjoy the simple pleasures of humility and thankfulness. I have been taught humility many times when ignoring or trying to impose my will upon God’s design, or nature if you prefer that term. But then I can be thankful that I have been placed here to observe and enjoy this incredible gift that we’ve all been given. I’ve also been given the gift of the ability to learn. Growing plants exercises the mind as I attempt to understand all that I’m observing. It does not allow one to become lazy, either in body or mind. It feeds both the body and the mind’s curiosity, the search for answers to many of life’s questions.
“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” - Mahatma Gandhi, statesman, social activist
“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” – Claude Monet, artist
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, philosopher
The growing of plants is also a way to escape the complete insanity of modern society. It validates that I have something to contribute to the betterment of this world, and I have this thought that a garden is like children. Seedlings are like little babies. When tended to with care, and discipline, the result is pleasing and positive. The lack of love and labor results in something that is quite unpleasing. I can’t wait to see the little toddlers as they begin their journey to full bloom.
“If you wish to make anything grow, you must understand it, and understand it in a very real sense. ‘Green fingers’ are a fact, and a mystery only to the unpracticed. But green fingers are the extensions of a verdant heart.” – Russell Page, gardener, and landscape architect
“A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.” – Liberty Hyde Bailey, horticulturist
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” – Greek proverb
March 15 to April 15 Moon Sign Management
The Greek proverb you referenced leads me to think that a tree once planted with good intentions, though left behind, shall satisfy both the planter and the supplanter. The supplanter will be gifted with the work that never ends. 🍁 🍂 raking, pollen, trimming, seedlings…. It’s a comforting thought to have when tptb finally decide it’s time that we own nothing and are happy. 🙄 Seriously, though, I’m grateful for your almanac advice. It’s been helpful for my garden planning.