Gardening is having a bit of a moment. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 18.3 million Americans became first-time gardeners.
“A gardener is always an eternal optimist. You know, tomorrow is going to be better, next year is going to be better,” horticulturist Dennis Patton said on Up To Date on Wednesday.
Patton works at Kansas State University’s Johnson County Extension Office. He told Up To Date's host Steve Kraske that American gardeners are at a bit of a “tipping point” when it comes to their lawns.
“I hate to compare this to politics, but it's almost like you've got the sides in lawn care,” he said. “You've got the traditionalist, who wants the English manicured lawn, and you’ve got the more environmentally friendly lawn.”
Lawns haven’t always looked like golf courses, Patton explained.
“Prior to the rise of suburbia and the “chemical revolution” of the 1950s and 1960s, plants like clover weren’t considered weeds and were actually an integral part of lawns," he said.
As for vegetable planting, Patton said we’re about a week to 10 days behind schedule here in Kansas City because of an exceptionally chilly March.
However, there’s still plenty of vegetables that can handle a light freeze and should be planted this week.
“It's way too early for the popular tomatoes and peppers,” he said. “What's going in now is broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and a lot of the salad crops.”
Want to know more about gardening in our region? Here’s the latest version of the “Kansas Garden Guide,” published by K-State Research and Extension.
- Dennis Patton, horticulture agent at the K-State Johnson County Extension Office
