Nip that gardening withdrawal in the bud

At this point in time, most gardeners are probably relieved that the garden has gone to bed. As much as you love it, there comes a time when you’d rather sit in your chair and just watch the snow come down.

But something happens to a gardener’s botanical clock about the middle to the end of January. Ever so subtly it begins ticking, not loudly at first but loud enough to hear. As time goes into February, the clock gets louder. By mid-February, the alarm starts going off making us press our noses to frosty windows and dream of green – anything green. We get crabby. Our families don’t know what to do with us. Even thinking about the Christmas gifts of seeds and tools don’t placate us. Family ties are strained to the breaking point – or at least to the point that no one dares say anything remotely related to plants. It’s just the onset of GSDS – Gardeners’ Season Denial Syndrome.

Here are some suggestions, not so subtly disguised as a Christmas wish list, to help your family deal with your attack of GSDS. Cut this column out and place it strategically where they can find it – soon.

Gift certificates for day or weekend trips to places that are still green or have indoor gardens might be a good idea. To pick the places, the gift certificates can be tucked inside a copy of local photographer Carolyn Starner’s book “Emerald Journeys; A Walk Through Northwest Gardens.”

This wonderful book was published last summer by Greenstem Press and showcases Starner’s photographs and descriptions of 34 public gardens in Washington, Oregon and southern British Columbia, including well-known ones like the Portland Rose Garden, the Bellevue Botanic Garden, the Butchart Gardens and our own Manito Park’s gardens. The book also includes lesser-known but beautiful gardens like Shore Acres on the southern Oregon coast, the Rhododendron Species Botanical and the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection, both on the campus of the Weyerhaeuser Company corporate headquarters in Federal Way Washington and the Minter Gardens in Rosedale British Columbia. The book is available at local book stores ($37.00). Let the gardener pick a place to visit later in the year. You have a happy gardener and a vacation planned.

If waiting until later in the year to go somewhere isn’t going to work or will result too many strained relationships, consider a trip to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in February in Seattle, or if you want that with rain on the side, the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show in March. The Web site for both shows is www.gardenshow.com.

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show will be Feb. 9-13 at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. The opportunity to smell spring flowers and listen to chirping birds will be enough to shake off the blues, but wait until you see the great display gardens built by some of the region’s best designers. It’s a treasure trove of ideas and exciting uses of plants and landscaping. If that isn’t enough, there will more than 125 educational talks from leading garden experts and 300 vendors showing off all kinds of garden art, plants, tools and related items. The best time to go is during the week when the crowds are smaller. If it helps, the Seattle Sonics are playing Sacramento on the evening of Feb.10 and Dallas on the afternoon of Feb. 13th. The Key Arena is not far from the convention center.

The San Francisco Flower and Garden Show will be March 16-20 at the Cow Palace. This show is similar to the Seattle show but focuses on the garden styles of the San Francisco Bay area. Expect to see more outdoor living ideas and of course different plants. There will be lots of educational talks and even more garden vendors.

For those sudden attacks of GSDS that come on in a matter of minutes, create gift certificates for drop-everything-and-go visits to local garden attractions. The Gaiser Conservatory at Spokane’s Manito Park is open year-round and always has a wonderful display of flowering plants and lots of green leaves. In early February, they will begin bringing out the forced spring bulbs to brighten the place up. It’s free, so you can spend all day if need be. If we get one of those sort of warm days, add a walk through the park and check out colorful tree barks and other subtle winter coloring.

If the urge to begin planning garden decoration becomes too great, plan a trip to Ruby Street Antiques. You can’t miss this place on the corner of Ruby and Mission (104 E. Mission Ave.) with its giant iron roosters, pergolas, iron fencing and other outdoor bric-a-brac crowding the corner. Inside the fence is a treasure trove of potential garden ornaments that can add character to any garden. I particularly like the flying pigs and am thinking of putting one in my yard — something about whether or if my garden will ever be finished.

Disclaimer: These ideas are only suggestions and do not constitute a guaranteed cure for symptoms of Gardeners’ Season Denial Syndrome.