Zodiac for Gardeners

ARIES (March 21 to April 20)

Aries begins the spring. You are a fiery, energetic, and quick individual who likes spicy, invigorating plants and foods. Growing onions, garlic, leeks, cayenne peppers, and tomatoes in the garden is easy for you and brings joy and excitement. (Putting all of these together in a spaghetti sauce is nirvana.) Red is your color, brave soul, and any flower of this hue attracts you. Red bee balm, poppies, zinnias, and celosia are particularly appealing. As the first sign of the zodiac, you love to pioneer new frontiers and directions. The newest plant varieties introduced by the local nursery will be sure to find a home in your garden.

TAURUS (April 21 to May 20)

Taurus settles, or deepens, the spring. Practical and value oriented, you like consistency and stability. Your garden preferences are also deeply rooted: Carrots, beets, potatoes, and turnips appeal to you and flourish under your care. With your heightened sense of taste and touch, you prefer comfort foods to faddish fare. All forms of potatoes (chips, fries, baked, or mashed) might be found as staples of the evening meal. You love to feel the earth under your feet and will kick off your shoes whenever possible. Taurus likes the tried-and-true, so heirloom varieties of plants that bloom in any color grace your gardens.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)

Gemini finishes the spring, but the sense that a change of seasons is near keeps you light and airy. Plants that mimic your style, such as dill, calendula, caraway, and parsley, are easy for you to grow and make your heart dance. Wild carrot and dandelion—whose airborne seeds swirl and twirl in the wind—bring joy and contentment. You find yellow flowers particularly captivating, and dashes of this color can be found liberally in your yard. Salads grace your evening meals (the quickness of “wash and eat” is indescribably tantalizing). Toss some calendula blossoms right in the bowl for an added dash of pizzazz and panache.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

Cancer begins the summer. Because your sensitive soul loves to feed and nourish itself and others, nutritious plants such as sweet potatoes are near and dear to your heart. You find them easy to grow and will experiment with many recipes for their use. You are ruled by the Moon, so all nightblooming flowers are also akin to you. Evening primrose, moonflowers, evening stock, and night-blooming cereus fill the Cancer twilight garden with intoxicating scents and mystical magic. Hearty soups and casseroles on your dinner table are filled with everything that’s good for you.

LEO (July 23 to August 22)

Leo settles, or deepens, the summer. With your sunny disposition, Jerusalem artichokes, black-eyed Susans, and sunflowers adorn your gardens and are quite easy for you to grow. Leos never do things halfheartedly, so massive and extensive displays of orange gaillardia, poppies, marigolds, and/or zinnias grace your front walkways and patio beds. Astalwart soul, you take great pride in your surroundings and desire to have the best in the neighborhood. Your zest for living can be seen in the salsas, gazpachos, and saffron dishes produced in your grandiose kitchen. Expect a large bottle of hot sauce to reside there as well.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22)

Virgo ends the summer. The major heat of the season is beginning to pass, and there is a hint of a change just around the corner. As this sign truly represents the harvest, you, an industrious soul, love all things that last or keep. Potatoes are a big favorite here, as well as corn and many varieties of winter squashes. You are an ardent organizer; we expect to see neat, trim rows of vegetables in your gardens. Gloves live on your hands for the entire growing season, as you love to check items off of your “to do” list with patient persistence. Everything has its place in these kitchens, and meat and potatoes are on the menu with
consistent regularity.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22)

Libra begins the fall. Because of your concern for beauty, flowers of all kinds abound in your garden. Color is important to you: Ranges from bright to subtle will be artfully placed throughout your decks and patios. You are not particularly fond of getting your hands dirty, so look for the local nursery truck to make frequent visits all summer long. Flowering bushes and trees will be tucked along fences and borders nestled in their beds of mulch. You always want to make a favorable impression; pansies and nasturtiums appear in your salads and roses, and lilies adorn your dining room table.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 22)

Scorpio deepens the fall. Always having a plan, you make sure that successive plantings of snap peas or lettuce grace your gardens. You are the strongest member of the zodiac and thus are attracted to vigorous plants such as Swiss chard, which regrows when cut. Tomatoes appeal to you for the color red, and eggplants for their affinity with purple. Being sexy and passionate, you are captivated by exotic lilies, with their deep, nectar-coated throats. You like a challenge, so sushi and Thai foods are often on the menu
in your kitchen.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 to December 21)

Sagittarius ends the fall. The seasons are about to shift again, so the expectation of change is part of your personality. With Jupiter (the largest planet in the solar system) as your ruling planet, you are partial to plants that grow bigger: Azaleas, rhododendrons, and rosemary fill the bill here. Giant sunflowers as well as beans and peas that climb tantalize your soul. You are fond of action and the outdoors; plants that spread out and seem wild and free excite you. Look for lily-of-the-valley or patches of mint in your garden. Quick and easy meals such as salmon and salad grace your dinner table, and popcorn is your regular snack.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19)

Capricorn begins the winter. You are a serious, organized soul, so create formal plantings of tulips and daffodils in the spring. Summer gardens include fieldstone pathways between neat rows of pole beans, radicchio, and cucumbers. As a conscientious and disciplined person, you strive for a long season and a full year; therefore, spinach, arugula, and chicory grace the fall selections. Hearty soups and stews are long-term favorites for your dinner and are always served with your best china and silver.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 19)

Aquarius deepens the winter. Being an extremely independent individual, you favor easy-care plants like pumpkins and squashes (whose leaves quickly shade and kill weeds) meandering alongside your walkways and patios. Peas and snow peas can be found climbing radiantly up your porch railings, while tomatoes appeal to your egalitarian nature. The annual scattering of wildflowers brings great joy to your heart. In the kitchen, all manner of fruits can be found stacked in your bowls and on counters and tables. What can be simpler than  wash-and-eat? Eclectic friends bring ethnic tabboulehs, ratatouilles, and couscous to share enthusiastically.

PISCES (February 20 to March 20)

Pisces completes the winter. Spring is just around the corner, so a sense of change is inherent in this sign. Pisceans generally possess a sense of creativity, so look for graceful plants such as lupines and poppies to be scattered around your yard. A rainbow of colors splashes brilliantly in front of your doors and alongside your walkways. Cucumbers, melons, and summer squashes appeal to your watery natures. Many Pisces love to cook, and hearty chicken or fish soups are always simmering on your stove and in your slow cooker. Gazpacho and vichyssoise are also perennial favorites.