Spring snow 2014
“Spring was chancy, but she liked it best of all the seasons. One day would be still and soft with the sun flowing like honey along the hillsides, over the brown winter leaves and the tender green things peeping through, with time slow and the bees buzzing somewhere in the sunshine-forever, forever-and the next day fierce, with the wind tearing through the woods in gusts, shaking the last of dry oak leaves, bending treetops, piercing every crevice of house and clothing with a bitter chill, and time rushing with it down the valley.”
Wilma Dykeman – The Tall Woman
We’ve not had any last snow like in the spring of 2014 but we have had some cold weather this week with the temperature dipping back down in the low 30s for a couple of nights.
As Dykeman indicated, cold spells in spring of the year are to be expected in the mountains of Appalachia.
Even though we haven’t reached our last frost date I decided to be chancy. I’ve planted squash, zucchini, and cucumbers.
Matt said I was hurrying things, but I pointed out the volunteer cucumbers and tomatoes growing in our garden. I said “Surely they know better than we do.”
Last night’s video: Go To Satterfield’s Nursery With Us!
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
Tipper–
That is my all-time favorite picture. Just seeing that snow on the blooming bush gives me such a peaceful feeling.
I planted a row of Tipper Beans this afternoon. I watered the ground a little yesterday so I didn’t have to breath dust today. I have my Rain Bird sprinkler on standby if it don’t rain Saturday or Tuesday. Are you planning to grow any of them this year?
I might 🙂 I hope yours do really good!
Afternoon everyone. I’m in NE Arkansas. I never plant anything til early May. We have a long growing season. Our last frost is end of March. It’s been hot this last few days and we just had a rain shower as I started writing this. I’ve learned to not be in a hurry, mostly because I don’t want to replant anything. Our part of Arkansas gets it’s weather from the Gulf. Hot, hot and more hot with humidity. My son mowed today for the first time. It wasn’t really grass just stuff that grows. My beautiful 1.5 acres of peace. I hope everyone gets the rain they need. Tipper, I made 3 little jars of pickled ramps. Can’t wait to eat them. Anna from Arkansas.
I’m usually very chancy in the garden planting very early, but not this year. I’ve had a lot going on with my family, so just this week I got out and cleaned up my raised beds. I planted three heirloom tomatoes; Mushroom Basket, Hillbilly Tomato, and Alice’s Dream. I’ve never tried them but they are all indeterminate plants. I didn’t realize they were indeterminate tomatoes until I read the tag that came with them. I prefer determinate plants in my raised beds, I’ll have to keep them trimmed up so they don’t vine everywhere. I also planted a Nadapeno Pepper Heirloom plant. The information tag says it has the flavor and crunch of a jalapeño, but doesn’t have the heat. It’s also a very early and prolific variety. I’ve never tried this Nadapeno pepper either, but excited to see how it grows and taste. I planted two Bertha Green Pepper plants, some Marigolds and some flowers for the hummingbirds, but can’t remember the names of them. I also have three Bush Cucumber plants, but still have to prep their raise bed so I can plant them. Hopefully I’ll get them planted this weekend. This has to be the latest Ive ever started planting my garden, didn’t start anything from seeds and I’m not planting even half of what I normally do. I already regret not planting cabbage, but that just gives me a reason to go to the Farmers Market when it opens.
I will hush after this, working in his garden was a favorite past time for my father in law especially after he retired, he would sometimes plant a small early garden before planting his larger 1plus acre garden. He would call his early garden a “frost garden.” Two signs I have heard- my Daddy would say your garden is not safe from frost until the blackberry vines bloom and this from a large scale produce farmer “ I wait until my pecans trees began to put on leaves.”
I love the vibrant contrast of color in the photo this morning Tipper – just beautiful – screen saver worthy. I was having issues with my computer yesterday so watched last evening video late in evening but enjoyed the trip to Satterfield’s and seeing Quincy again – he sure is a smart one! May you ‘chancy’ planting work well for you. If the forecast for your area is similar to here – it will be a warmer and dryer year ahead with many more wildfires and smoke that goes with that. 🙁 Hopefully Matt will be able to get the pump system figured out so to have easier watering of big garden. The Lord blessings to you all.
The excerpt you posted from ‘The Tall Woman’ this morning was beautiful. It drew me in and created such pictures in my minds eye. The photo of the snow-covered blossoms is equally beautiful. We had let our fire go out in our outdoor stove. Hubby had to build one again this week, because we have had a few cold days and nights. I like the word, chancy, to describe spring. I was definitely chancy planting my marigold seeds so early—but they are all coming up everywhere—even in a pot sitting at the edge of my patio. I have never planted them this early before, but it is a small garden and hubby covered it up for me a couple nights this week. So far, so good! I am about to watch your Satterfield video from last evening. Have a wonderful day everyone.
I enjoyed Wilma’s reflection on the chancy nature of spring. I am being chancy this morning by hanging clothes outside on the line even though it’s overcast and we are supposed to get some heavy storms late afternoon. I do hope they have time to dry. I really enjoyed your trip to Satterfields! I’m looking forward to seeing all of that beauty growing in your yard this year. I am impressed how much that little Quincy knows. He has the nicest disposition. What a gift to learn what he has at such a young age. 🙂
I just read that in the first week of May we will have a good chance of very cold temps here in SW Ohio. I’m as anxious as you Tipper to have my veggies growing but I’m making myself wait. The sad part is the frost never gets the weeds, only the veggies!
“April is the cruelest month…” — T.S. Eliot, the poem The Waste Land.
You know, one of those poems you had to read in HS that later in life you remember maybe one line from… 😉
I’ve been VERY chancy this year! I didn’t get to start my tomato plants like usual as time just kind of slipped-away from me with work obligations and “kid obligations” and the many things they have going on as the school year starts winding down. I happened to make a trip up to the Mennonite community in Spencer, TN less than an hour north of us over our spring break week on the Thursday leading up to Easter. I love going up there for all of their great shops and products and it’s often where I buy my best flowers (annuals) among other things. While I was at the big garden center there, I found some beautiful Cherokee Purple plants already started in their greenhouses and thriving–along with some other varieties of tommy toes I like to grow and my jalapeno and banana peppers, so I grabbed a bunch. A whole flat of the Cherokees were quite affordable and it saved me getting them started at home and potentially running behind as they became hardy and ready. I put the flowers (marigolds, dianthus, pansies, etc.) in the ground later that day and came back around on Good Friday and planted my tomatoes, peppers, and put my pole bean seeds and squash in their places as well. Even being just a little ways west of ya’ll, we’ve managed to stay warm enough that I wasn’t too concerned about them through this last Little Winter spell. I don’t think we dropped below 38 and didn’t see any frost, so we’re doing well still and they’ve grown by leaps and bounds! Beans are up, too, and almost ready to climb. But just in case…I’ve got my plastic sheeting and tarps ready to cover if there’s any further surprises to come, but usually by this point we’re past our last frost date (3/30), which I’ve seen frost as late as it is now–however rare! But yes, chancy I am and chancy I shall be, all hoping to get a good haul of tomatoes this season!
My father was the oldest of nine children. He was born on May the 5th. Grandma always said don’t plant tomatoes until or after Jerry’s (my dad) birthday. That’s been our rule for many years. Dad would have been 94 years old this year. I still miss him every day.
My tater tops are as brown as dirt and plumb froze over! I put the brooding light back on my baby chicks. One year I got eager and planted a few flowers that were dead within hours or days. Yall maybe can play with chance where you are, but here in the Arctic Va area, you’d have frozen greens…I got overly excited with seed this year and lost a good half of about 300$ worth of seed as they sprung up and died cause it was too early. I had to buy all new tomatoes, cucumbers, hollyhock and looks like I have to buy seed taters cause my garden fence goes right through my first row with concrete holding a pole. It’s been sheer hell and a fight this year every step of the way. I had people walk on my taters when there’s a whole garden to trod… sometimes I feel like just saying to hell with it all and head for a easy way out.. Drunk did you say? Driving forever with no end destination? Sometimes I think about it…. Then realize it would cause more trouble than solve… so I have a Canada Dry and breathe or sigh. smh that this whole life is tough and not a fair thing about it exists… I got the big mower and my friend brought it me!!! He’s a friend of mercy and kindness. I am grateful for all he’s done for me. Maybe that’s what keeps us giving and going-an act of kindness can keep a person holding on. Sometimes it’s all that does. My daughter had her son last week. He had to stay in the hospital a week cause he’s early. They’re both fine on the Gulf shores of Alabama… id rather be here except for sweet magnolias and cotton blowing in the road…
Sorry Tipper, but Im going to have to side with Matt on this one. Im afraid you are rushing your planting a bit. Im in central NC and I’ve always heard people say May 10th to plant beans, corn and such. Of course it’s will take it a couple weeks to get up, so maybe you will be okay as long as we dont have a hard frost.
I’m fussing about my yard like a wrench readying her nest. I’m wanting to plant stuff soooo badly but here in west central IL I know with a certainty that there will be another hard frost or 3 or 4. Keeping the yard mowed (3.5 hours on my rider) and the weedeating caught up keeps me fairly busy. My how the grass and weeds are growing even with barely a rain drop. Yesterday I dug, divided and replanted some hostas. Even put a couple of the blue hostas in big pots for decorating my porches. Free plants!!!! Got my pond dyed blue yesterday…as well as my left hand lol It’ll be a conversation starter at my doctor’s appointment this morning!
We are going to try our best to get our garden in this weekend, especially with the possibility of rain on Saturday. Fingers crossed.
Where there is garden room, maybe the best thing to so is plant some lesser amount early and be chancey but with a plan to plant more the major part later and replant the first if necessary. Always seems to me the first up – if it survives – does better. I suspect seeds have some ability themselves to take their chances but with an ability also to endure some marginal conditions in the beginning. I do not have any facts to back that up though. I think we gardeners tend to trust seeds to “know” when to grow. But nature also loses a very great many seeds also to weather, fungi, insects, shade, root competition etc. We want most every one we plant to produce; not the general way of nature.
I’ve been itchy to plant cucumbers too, so today I might just do that! Thank you for being chancy!
We had a couple of days where the temperature reached over 80 in the shade last week. Way too hot! This week I’ve had to break ice out of the water troughs twice. I’m anxious to plant things but I’m biding my time.
I was just thinking of being chancy myself and starting our cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash. Like you said, the volunteers gave me the idea. I think I will go for it. We have warm weather predicted for a while.
Happy gardening everybody!
Good morning Tipper and Acorns. I was just watching the video about y’all’s trip to the nursery. It was such fun. I hope it all survives past Mother’s Day. That is when we usually get our last freeze. I have seen it snow here in June though. I’m gonna wait. I’ll dig out a few holes on the bank again this year and have some red peppers, squash and zucchini. I want some delicata squash too. I keep everyone here and up Wilson Holler in my prayers and TY all for keeping my son and me in your prayers. I love y’all.
Tipper,
Your own observations paired with Wilma Dykeman’s most beautiful passage of writing were completely in sync. I agree with you, those volunteers from last year want to grow! I really enjoyed your trip to Saterfields last night! I feel behoved to get my porch pots planted!
We’ve had temps in the 30’s this week too in the early mornings, but like you I’ve been chancy with planting herbs and sunflowers on the outside of our garden fence. The farmers around here have been chancy too, we’ve noticed corn coming up in the fields around here. It’s probably the earliest that I have ever seen corn being planted much less coming up this time of the year.
We have a saying here in the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania:”plant in May throw them away, plant in June eat them soon” I get excited sometimes to plant some things early, especially when we get a very warm spell early in spring, but the this saying plays in my head and makes me wait!
Denise, around my area, upper SC, field corn gets planted as early as late March and the first weeks of April. This year we are in an extreme drought, the few that have tried planting have been planting in dust and not enough moisture for the seeds to sprout. In a normal year corn would be “hand high” by now. A light frost does not hurt corn as bad as some other things.
One morning this week the temperature was in the upper 30’s. This year it is not the temperature as much as the lack of rain that makes planting anything chancy. We are in an extreme drought, wildfires are breaking out around the area. A few days ago a fire was started by a spark from a man’s lawnmower blades hitting something. A small chance of rain Saturday afternoon and one other day next week.
Randy, you reminded me that it is a big mistake to park a vehicle in dry grass because hot mufflers and especially catalytic converters can easily start fires. I’ve reminded my family drivers to take care when pulling off onto a grassy shoulder to make or take a phone call. A lady parked in the grass to attend a funeral a few years ago in Edgefield, SC, and her car burned up during the funeral.
Gene, I have also seen or heard of cars catching on fire when from hot mufflers and especially catalytic converters when parked in high dry grass. If anyone does not believe there are sparks under a lawn mower deck just stand back and look under the deck when it is dark- the lower the deck the worse it is. Remember the blades have to be running!!! Don’t know how to add a smiley face. The man I mentioned burned his mower up and part of a wooden fence along with a large part of his yard. I don’t know his reason for not driving his mower away from the fire unless the grass build up on top of the deck was burning. I know of this happening last year to another neighbor, he burned up a very expensive Scag zero turn mower along with a large grass area.