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People practice tai chi on the seawall at Kitsilano Beach, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck\/The Canadian Press via AP) <\/p>\nPeople practice tai chi on the seawall at Kitsilano Beach, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck\/The Canadian Press via AP) <\/p>\n
I am sitting in front of an extremely sunny window, or at least trying to sit. My back is out. Way out! I am hurting, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n
The spring light is brightly reflecting off melting snow, actually blinding me from seeing what I have written so far. I need to move to a better place in which to write. I am in too much pain.<\/p>\n
I am not complaining about my back being out. Well, actually I am \u2014 just ask anyone around me \u2014 but that\u2019s not what I\u2019m writing about. <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a perennial gardener, meaning one who gardens every year no matter what the crappy Alaska summer weather brings, then you\u2019ve undoubtedly had a backache too. It is not fun. In most cases they can be prevented. <\/p>\n
With that in mind, it is time to start doing the back exercises you should have doing all winter. There are specific stretches and sets for gardeners to strengthen muscles, and all are free from the internet.<\/p>\n
Some of you may be old enough to remember a great TV show starring an iconic David Carradine. It was the introduction, grasshoppers, of gentle tai chi. What a TV show!<\/p>\n
That was then. Now there are tai chi routines for walkers, sitters and even the bedridden, just to give you a few examples.<\/p>\n
The concepts of tai chi sort of fit with the concepts of the soil food web. Step back, grasshopper, provide water and microbes, and then just let the plant go with the natural flow and do its own thing.<\/p>\n
Obviously, I have passed the \u201ccannot really remember last summer\u201d threshold, and I\u2019m quite sure you have too. This is where you cannot remember much about last year\u2018s gardens.<\/p>\n
Even if you can\u2019t remember last year\u2018s gardens, and maybe even more so if you can, it is time to make a rough plan of what you want to do this year. I know it may seem way too early, what with all the snow on the ground, but I see you out looking at the seed racks and even buying packets of seeds.<\/p>\n
As Alaskans, we have changed the way we buy seeds. We used to go to a nursery and pick up what we needed. Sometimes we\u2019d go to more than one nursery.<\/p>\n
These days, however, you can have a perfectly good garden and find a great selection of seeds and starts without ever stepping into a nursery or commercial greenhouse.<\/p>\n
You really need to make a rough plan of what you expect from the yard this summer. It can be as detailed as you want, with both the types of plants and, perhaps, the number that you want in each of your garden areas. <\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry about making your garden plan beautiful, and it doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. However, since we buy seeds and starts from more than one location these days, it makes a great deal of sense to have this rough plan in your glove compartment so you have it with you whenever you stop to buy plants.<\/p>\n
Jeff\u2019s Alaskan Gardening Calendar<\/b><\/p>\n