Planting day eve: Good planting requires good planning

Holy smokes! It’s planting day eve and I haven’t done a thing to prepare. It’s been a busy week, and the garden has been on the back burner for a few days now. I went and checked it out first thing this morning and noticed that neighbour Gord had cunningly divided the garden plot in half. At that moment, Gord sauntered down the back steps from his upstairs apartment and I sneered at him, saying, Gord’s about ten years older than I am but I think he got the reference, and the race to produce the juiciest tomatoes and the most succulent beets on the block has begun.

As such, the plan is to commence hardcore gardening tomorrow. My fastidious friend Alec, who claims vast gardening experience even though he lives in a high-rise condominium on Broughton St., will be arriving early Sunday morning to begin the weeding, layering the compost, and heading to the local nursery to pick up the mightiest looking transplants we can find. Actually, I’ll just share the schedule.

PLANTING DAY SCHEDULE

8:00 a.m: Alec arrives, tea and scones are ingested. Gardening thumbs are flexed.

9:00 a.m: Attack weeds in garden plot and front lawn planters. Discard excess clippings in compost.

10:30 a.m: Turn back compost, and open bottom door to get the richest compost underneath. Spread a 4 inch layer evenly across our side of the garden. Laugh at Gord’s paltry, dry soil composition. Turn soil and compost to create heavenly mix. Dig trenches for tomatoes and beets.

11:00 a.m: Head to to pick up transplants. Return, plant.

2:00 p.m. Beers and lawn chairs in the garden.

Successful gardening always requires a plan, according to the And I plan to take Gord and his garden down, starting tomorrow.

Don’t worry, fellow gardeners. I haven’t lost the way – just sometimes competition gets the better of us all, especially when the neighbour’s planted garlic looks better than yours.

I’ll be a in no time.