Victory gardens return

TICONDEROGA | In 1940, Americans were losing interest in gardening and that's the way the corporations wanted it. In the 19th century, a home garden was a virtual necessity as people grew their own fresh vegetables in the summer and canned or pickled them to help survive the winter. But with the onset of industrialization and urbanization, home gardening began to wane. In the 20th century, agriculture was becoming big business, which had an interest in discouraging people from raising their own food. In a modern world, they said, people shouldn't be dirtying their tender little hands in the soil like common laborers. "Big food conglomerates tried to steer people away from gardening," said Ticonderoga historian Diane O'Connor. "They said gardening was for country bumpkins and people got the idea that it wasn't cool." Then World War II happened. As precious resources were rationed and morale was in need of a boost, the government encouraged Americans to plant "victory gardens," which they did with a vengeance. By 1943, 18 million victory gardens had been planted in the United States, producing up to 40% of the nation's vegetables. Today, with a new crisis upon us, gardening is once again becoming trendy — if not, for some people, essential. These "virus gardens" have built upon what had already been a growing interest in localizing the food supply. Suppliers of seeds and plants have reported a run on their products, as television cameras have panned along empty shelves in the grocery store. But food is only part of the issue. "What you're seeing right now is that people have a need to feel as if they're part of the solution," O'Connor said. "It gives people a great sense of satisfaction." Last Thursday, Jay Ward, owner of Ward Lumber in Jay, held a Zoom seminar called Gardening 101. It attracted about 25 viewers, including people new to gardening, gardeners who wanted to hone their skills and one who said she wanted to return to gardening after a 30-year hiatus. Ward, whose store sells seeds, plants and gardening supplies, said the new popularity in garding is evident. Seed potatoes sold out early, and now even his supplier is out, he said. Ward said gardening does not have to be backbreaking work, not does it depend on having lots of tillable land. He advocated raised beds filled with a mixture of compost, peat and vermiculite, a medium that holds water and has minimal weeds. For late starters, there is still plenty of time, Ward said. In fact, one of the bigger mistakes — which Ward confessed he still makes — is planting too early. "Don't do what I do, don't plant too early," he said. "The soil's got to be warm for the seed to germinate." In the Adirondacks, that means somewhere around Memorial Day. With a short northern season, Ward said plants are often preferable to seeds, especially for warm-weather species such as tomatoes or peppers. Plus, "I can put in the plants and it looks like I've been gardening for a month," he said. Where space is limited, trellises can help crops grow up instead of out. And in most locations, some sort of fencing is preferable to keep out the critters. One summer, Ward said, his carrots refused to grow until mid-summer, when all of a sudden they shot up with new growth. What had happened, he said, was that the baby bunnies that had been nibbling the tops, had grown too big to slip through the mesh of the fence.

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Victory gardens return

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