Fall Gardening Reflections
An interview with Joe Seals
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
As the growing season comes to a close here in southern New England, I’m admiring the changing leaves, starting my fall clean-up, and reflecting on all that I’ve learned. Every year brings new lessons in growing, some of them more potent than others. (Remember to write down the names of all 25 varieties of hot peppers you planted and their respective Scoville levels, or prepare for some unpleasant surprises!!). I’m also connecting with folks who taught me a lot this year, whether side-by-side in the garden or by the tips and insights they’ve shared online with the public.
One of these helpful folks is Joe Seals, author of the book Back to the New Basics and one of my favorite gardening newsletters of the same name. Joe has been gardening for decades and holds a degree in Environmental Horticulture. He’s taught horticulture and gardening to people of all ages. He’s also the founder of the Association of Specialty Cut-flower Growers, an international organization dedicated to networking hundreds of growers and companies throughout the U.S. He’s worked at several nurseries and has held director positions at multiple seed companies, including Park Seed Company in South Carolina and Burpee Seeds in Pennsylvania. In other words, Joe knows what he’s talking about. You can read more about him here.
Earlier this month Joe was kind enough to answer some questions about gardening and share a few tips helpful to new and experienced gardeners alike. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
Happy planting,
Amy
Amy: What inspired you to start gardening, and how long have you been a gardener?
Joe: I grew up in an Italian family and frequently played in my grandparents’ back yard. Being an Italian garden, it was loaded with fruits and vegetables – something even a kid could appreciate – as well as all manner of exotic Southern California flowers. With all that the garden entailed, it was too easy to fall in love with all things gardening. I have no idea at what age I went from simply stealing tomatoes to actually planting a seed or some such, but I know I was actually “gardening” by my early teens. And, doing some approximate math, that would mean I’ve been gardening for somewhere between 60 and 65 years. Yes, I’m 75.
Amy: What do you love most about sharing gardening tips with others?
Joe: Maybe/probably it’s the “pay it forward” idea. I learned plenty about gardening when I was young from all levels of people who were real gardeners. I was consumed by the horticulture program at college and the great teachers I had. Various co-workers mentored me when I worked at retail and wholesale nurseries. Then there was the corporate seed industry work, the travel for garden-related business, and working in the landscape trades (primarily as a designer) with all those who were so generous with their time and wisdom. There was, indeed, a revelation somewhat late in my life when it came time to share what I knew. And every time someone now says to me “thank you for the tip,” I know I have so many to thank. There’s also the many times, even now, when I pick up tips from others and that, too, is a thrill.
Amy: Do you have a gardening tip that might surprise people, perhaps even experienced gardeners?
Joe: I’m sure there’s several. But here’s two:
1. Quit buying plants that look pretty in a magazine or catalog and install plants that “fit the place.”
2. Be patient. Even experienced gardeners are caught off guard when I offer this “tip.” and...
Don’t pull weeds. Oh wait, that’s three.
Then there’s me always dismissing gardening’s sacred cows: amending the soil, landscape fabric, companion planting, honeybees, earthworms, soil tests, and many more. But all of that is another interview, maybe.
Amy: What is your favorite thing to plant? Have you ever planted anything you regret?
Joe: Favorite: Bulbs. Of almost any kind. There’s absolutely nothing easier and more rewarding than putting a lump into the ground and within short order, there’s a beautiful flower—or two or twenty. I’m thinking my first deep fascination with a particular group of plants was with bulbs. I’ve gone through my share of special bulbs for Southern California, hardiest bulbs for northern Wisconsin, semi-tropical bulbs in South Carolina, and hardy bulbs for the Pacific Northwest. Of course, I stay away from the commodity, expected types.
Regrets? Plenty. But it’s the very common malady: sometimes when I plant something, I’ll visit a nursery or scroll through an on-line catalog soon after and see a very special plant, often one I’ve always wanted, and think “That’s what I SHOULD have planted.”
Amy: I’ve heard gardening referred to as a science and as an art. How do you think of the practice?
Joe: Great question. As a “scientist” and “artist,” my answer would have to be that gardening is both science and art. It can’t be just one. Even among the most casual or novice gardener, there is both the ritual of planting at the right time – the “science” – along with the desire to make things look nice together – the “art.” I’ve noticed that as time goes on, most gardeners evolve into one of two directions, with half leaning to the science (including engineering) side while the other half becomes more artsy in the garden.
I’m passionate about the deep science of gardening (and horticulture). I certainly hope that shows up in my Substack. And yet, I am not a plant collector who simply enjoys the botany of them. I am, when it comes to my landscapes (and the landscapes of others), a designer; plants, for me, must be laid out to please the eye.