Gardeners, I’m so excited! Make a cup of tea and sit down with me for a few minutes and I’ll tell you why! Many times when we have been visiting you have heard me mention that wonderful gardening program that used to be on TV, Victory Garden, and the uber-knowledgeable host Roger Swain.
Well, I was lucky enough to do a brief interview with Roger, so I want to tell you what we chatted about! Though Roger lives in New Hampshire, he was familiar with Saskatchewan as he visited Saskatoon about fifteen years ago to speak at a Master Gardening symposium. One thing that stood out for him was seeing people out picking saskatoons!
Where to begin? I asked what Victory Garden most wanted to convey to the viewers: Roger replied “Victory Garden was the first reality TV show. And truly it was reality. In the 15 years that I was the host nothing I showed you was scripted or staged, and over the years you could see the gradual changes as everything grew. Yes, there were plenty of annuals, but the metasequoia next to the pond was only four feet high when I planted it, and twenty by the time we went off the air.”
I asked what his favorite plant was. “If I had to pick a favorite edible, it might well be a muskmelon harvested at full slip, a level of ripeness never found in a grocery store.” We may not be able to grow the same varieties here successfully as they do in NH, but we can certainly understand the idea of the delicious taste of fruits and veg reaching maturity on the garden!
I wondered if Roger likes to try new varieties or sticks to the “tried and true” plants. He said “There are some plants that were selected for greenhouse culture or need special attention that I find wanting in a general garden. Lisianthus comes to mind. Garlic, on the other hand, is so easy and reliable that I can’t imagine why anyone would ever buy it again. I have a collection of 23 varieties, which may be excessive, but I try to spread planting stock around as we all should.”
I mentioned to Roger that the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society advocates gardening as a great pastime that can be enjoyed at any age, provides beauty and food, and is great for the environment and the soul. His response? “I agree wholeheartedly. Gardening is the single greatest skill humanity has. It sustains us all. There is no one who cannot garden, and no place where one cannot have one.”
I asked if he saves, since I know that many of you like to save seed. “Seed saving can be easy, get a copy of “Seed to Seed” by Suzanne Ashworth. Plants like lettuce and beans won’t cross pollinate so isolation isn’t necessary. With cucurbits it’s trickier, but still satisfying. In addition to garlic, I save heirloom pole beans, and several corns like Roy’s Calais Flint, an Abenaki variety from northern Vermont and Quebec, which produces a dried ear in 90 days and, when ground, great johnnycakes and grits.”
It was a great thrill and honor for me to hear the ideas and suggestions of such an experienced, knowledgeable gardener. Thank you, Roger, for sharing your insights with us!
Just a reminder, Seedy Saturday takes place on Saturday, March 11 beginning at 12:30 at Dr. Brass school in Yorkton. And if you are interested in a one day bus trip to Gardenscape in Saskatoon on Saturday, March 25, call Liz at (306) 782-2830. Lots of interesting things going on!
Have a great week!
