Tina Carter

The smell of rain on dry ground is always fantastic. It smells like potential. Perhaps you have a balcony with enough room for three pots. Or a yard and some old oaks that continue to shade it so the grass doesn't grow. Start with what you have. My first gardens were soup cans on my fire escape. Now, I create spaces for clients using native plants. And I still enjoy watching a seed coat divide to make a living bean plant.

Years ago, planting a hydrangea in full sun burned the leaves to a crisp. A neighbor laughed and handed me a shovel. "Move it now, or mourn later," was her sound advice. So I moved it under a maple - that bush blooms blue every June. Plants are forgiving if you are willing to adjust your mistakes before moving on. Stick your finger in the soil before you water. If it holds on to your finger, it's okay to wait. Notice where the deer come at midnight. Move accordingly.

Gardening is not a competition. My most enormous bounty was a 24-24-foot pumpkin vine with just one perfect gourd left on it. The rest rotted away. But (that) gourd became the first pie my daughter ever had. Share your bounty with friends. Take cuttings from park roses (where allowed). Ask the old gentleman down the street why his peonies have lasted longer than anyone else's. You will find magic in the effort. Just get a packet of zinnias and toss them in a patch of land no one pays much attention to. See what insists on growing there.