SEEDS and VEGGIE TRANSPLANTS have been difficult to obtain in some areas this spring. Because of the coronavirus, we want you ALL to stay safe and abide by the stay-home order, but here are some ideas to help get your veggie garden started on time. In most of these suggestions (below), you can arrange for non-interaction porch pickup.
Make a precise request on Facebook or other local chat group.
Before: Help! Does anyone have extra seeds?
Now: I’m looking for some spinach seeds. Or: I’d love to get 1-2 cabbage seedlings.
Offer to horse-trade. Perhaps you’ve had past success growing a particular veggie, so you might offer to grow extra for your donor. Or maybe you have a sunnier yard, or an extra bag of compost. Do you have unused grow lights? You can start seedlings for the person with the seeds. Or maybe you’re the one with tomato seeds, but no way to start them. Ask for -- and offer -- specific items.
Offer to pay. Gardeners invest a lot in their equipment, tools, and plants. Ask if you can compensate someone who grows a few extra seedlings for you - and offer the going price for plants at the garden center. Other forms of payment might include an offer to weed, water, or provide other garden maintenance -- from six feet away, of course.
Be patient and shop the backyard sales. In Columbus, we have dozens of small growers who offer seedlings in April, May, and beyond. Watch for their events on local Facebook gardening groups -- many of these growers depend on this annual income, and you’re likely to find unusual varieties. See if you can arrange a pickup time away from other buyers. Keep an eye on this CGS Facebook page for announcements, too!
Buy supplies at your garden center and/or hardware store. Yes, most are still open. Check store hours and plan your trip for when there’s likely to be the fewest customers in the store. Some deliver for a fee. (We’ll have more details in an upcoming post later this week.)
Remember - gardening is NOT a contact sport! You can safely grow veggies, flowers, and other beautiful plants without increasing your risk of spreading your personal pathogens. Be kind to each other, share your seeds, and before we know it -- it'll be August and we'll be eating ripe tomatoes in the garden again.
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