The record breaking heat we had over the last two weeks has plants bursting with blooms all over the place and folks wearing flip flops and shorts.
My plum tree is in full bloom. I’ve had it for years and it always blooms way to early, gets bit by Jack frost and never produces. This year’s blooms are even earlier than usual.
The Deer Hunter and I piddled around in the garden on Saturday. He pruned on the apple trees while I cleaned out flower beds.
We had one tomato bed that somehow never got cleaned out last summer so we tackled it together.
Even though I know it’s early I was tempted by the warm weather like everyone else and couldn’t resist planting at least a few things. We sowed Sow True Seed lettuce, spinach, and kale.
The bitter cold weeks we had earlier in the winter wiped out my kale and lettuce plantings from last fall. Well I guess I should say almost wiped out. I did find a few kale plants that had perked up because of the unusual warmth of the late winter sun.
Tipper
p.s. I had some technical difficulties yesterday-so if you missed the post go here to read it: 5 Things.
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It is so funny, my dandelions are in full bloom and my fruit trees and garden are suffering from the sudden blast of Arctic cold. I couldn’t help save the blooms from my citrus trees – I may have another year of low yield tangerines and lemons; but, luckily I started my garden plants indoors. I was about to transplant them when the weather report stated that my area was to be hit with a heavy down pour. Then soon afterwards two weeks of dropping temperatures, just above freezing.
I wanted to transplant my plants but the soil is too cold to sustain them. Now I am hoping that things, the soil, will warm up so that I can take my transplants to the garden before they grow to big or become long and lean. It is funny that two of my tomato plants survived from last year, but, the sudden cold may do them in. They have already bear some fruit, but, without the warmth they will go bad. Such is California living in Southern California.
My daffodils are almost 2″ high, and may actually bloom in 2 weeks. Snow is coming tomorrow, but buds on the maple tree next door are swelling. It starts ahead of other trees, but is among the last to actually open and make leaves. Maple sap gathering is likely about done for this year, but is still being boiled into syrup. Winter has yet to release Northern Ohio, we may need the snow shovels for another 4 to 6 weeks.
My problem is my ground is soggy. We had two pretty good snows and then is has rained and rained and rained and rained. It is raining today.
The tree trimmers came through a few days ago. They cut a few limbs out of one of my crepe myrtles. I told them they could dump some wood chips out beside the road if they need a place to put them. They brought 3 big loads. I have to figure out how to move them. They won’t be good for the garden for a couple of years but I can put some in the paths and walkways around it.
Dusty is getting married Saturday. On top of all her other problems my wife fell and broke her leg and she can’t go to the wedding. She had to be put rehab in Marion. That’s the only bed they could find that Aetna would pay for. Marion is out of my traveling range so I can only talk to her on the phone. Missy and Dusty go to see her. They live a lot closer.
Other than all that it is all sunshine and roses!
Tipper,
I use to have a real good friend named Jesse. His wife was my friend too, she was brought up in Nantahala. Every year, soon as we got a warm spell, Jesse would head to the garden. I begged him to wait at least another month, but he told me “I ain’t got nothing else to do”, and most of the time it got killed. Back then, he was in his 80’s, he had more ‘spunk’ than anyone I ever knew.
Myrtle was his wife and she told me that when she was just a young girl, she cooked for a bunch of
guys at a Sawmill. She told me about making over 50 biscuits for about 24 men. She also said that’s where she first met Jesse and he had arms like Popeye the Sailor. I miss them something awful! I guess they reminded me of my folks. …Ken
I have broken new ground this year. I’ve gotten about half of the space “desodded”. I am taking the sod from there to some low spots at the front of my property. I did buy some cabbage transplants, but they are still on the porch. I’m just not so sure the weather will hold and will take those new plants. Gardening will teach you patience!
My Sow True Romaine from last fall lasted through the 10 inches of snow we had, but succumbed to the several days of hard frost. Looking forward to planting the rest of those seeds this spring!
I am redoing my straw bale garden this year, had wonderful success last year. I’ve even inspired a friend in Mississippi to start a straw bale garden 🙂
So excited, only 10 more days until daylight savings! More time to play in the dirt after work!
Many blessings on your day 🙂
Fore too long I may put out some salad peas. Time to feed the deer, coons, and groundhogs!!!
Yep unusually warm, been nice, ground is saturated with rain, hope it don’t rain it’s self out.
Do you all plant English peas or snow peas? Along about now I sure wish I could plant English peas but they just don’t do well here. They taste so much better than canned. But it gets too hot too soon and they fade.
We have had some really nice days to be getting ready; cleaning the garden off and getting it turned. I am up to liming and fertilizing. I have to hold myself back from planting too much now.
I have planted lettuce, kale and onion plants and radish and carrot seeds. The cold killed the fall garden broccoli but the brussel sprouts, cabbage, spinach and the kale survived even though I did not cover them.
Ron-we used to plant sugar snap peas every spring, but I got tired of feeding the rabbits 🙂
My plum tree got killed during the ice storm of ’09. It only had fruit once or twice in it’s life and that was when I stood on the back of a truck and threw a bed sheet over it right before a cold spell. I’m tempted to plant a few things on our 70 degree days too, but past mistakes have taught me better. The weatherman said they are watching a snow event that might take place on March 8th. Here in the Ohio Valley it’s hard to predict the weather for the following day much less over a week away.
Over here on the Eastern side of the mountains, everything is being fooled. Check out the photos I made on Monday just north of Lake Lure…
http://www.blueridgeimpressions.org
Vann-your photos are amazing as usual. Hard to believe its all bloomed out in February 🙂
This warm weather made my soul say “Yes!” even though I knew it wouldn’t last. Last evening I went with the Deer Hunter and Paul to the accountant to get our taxes done. On our way home around nine we saw a big bunch of deer out in a field. There must have been a dozen or so of them. They think it’s spring too!
My favorite quote for this time of the year.
Who plants a seed beneath the sod
and waits to see
believes in God.
That kind of says it all.
I have already planted my lettuce spinach & celery in the greenhouse . it is about ready to transplant. I also have some yellow squash up that were volunteers so I transplanted some to see what happens. who knows , if we don,t have another killing frost they might survive. what do I have to loose but a few minutes time.
This time of year gets our gardening blood stiring