RE: I think it's spring
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: RE: I think it's spring
  • From: &* C* D* C* U* A* 9* C* <c*@edwards.af.mil>
  • Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:23:54 -0700
We had another weekend of bad weather. DH and I took leave on Friday so
we could go camping with the horses in the desert southeast of here. The
forecast said it was supposed to be better than home, so I hoped for the
best but it was not to be. Very windy and cold. We packed up and came
home on Saturday, and I found it was true that it was better in Joshua
Tree since it was REALLY miserable here. Sunday it rained the entire
day. Doesn't look like the rest of the week is going to be much better
but on the plus side, extra rain should extend the wildflower season. 
It's time to pull back the row cover and check on my snow peas. Maybe I
have spinach coming up by now too. Daffodils are almost all in full
bloom (if only they weren't flattened by wind and rain) and the roses
are just leafing out. I saw a few flowers on the erisymum too.
Everything else is holding back but it won't be long before the growing
explosion happens. 
 
Cyndi

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf Of Aplfgcnys@aol.com
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 3:20 PM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] I think it's spring

Bizarre weather.  The piles of snow are gone, washed away by the floods,
and today it's in the 70s.  I got down to the vegetable garden for the
first
time since December. I put in a short row of peas, since the ground was
quite thawed.  For the past two years I have had no crop of peas or
beans
because the plants were eaten by some critter - probably a
woodchuck.This
time I started with a short row, and gave it a heavy treatment of a new 
product
offered by Park's which says it repels small pests. We'll see.  There's
not 
much
point in planting when things get eaten before they can produce.  I'll
try 
this 
with squash and sunflowers when it's time to plant them - in the last
couple
of years the seeds have been eaten right in the ground before they
sprouted 
-
chipmunks I think.
  I spent some time trying to loosen the thich crust in the front flower

bed.
We had mulched with leaves last fall, as we usually do, but I guess it
was
because there had been a heavy snow pack since December, it has formed
a thick, brittle crust.  I've never seen it like that before. When I
break 
it up
with my fingers, there is plenty of green life beneath, but no shoots
coming
through.  Even hefty things like Hellebores were not making it.  
  My Artemisia 'Powis Castle', which is not reliably hardy, seems alive,
as 
does the Ruta graveolens.  I cut them back pretty sharply, for they had
been
very lush last year.  Here's hoping they survive.  I have already
ordered 
more
plants from Bluestone, not expecting anything to survive the bitter
winter, 
but
there will always be space for more.
  I know there will be more cold weather, but it's good to have a break.

We 
are just about dried out in the downstairs apartment after two separate
floods.  We have had floods before - maybe every seven or eight years -
but
never two in one season.  What a winter!
  Here's hoping the rest of you are enjoying a touch of spring, too.
APL

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