Spring? Wha hoppen?
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: Spring? Wha hoppen?
  • From: A*@aol.com
  • Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 16:40:00 EDT
What a crazy season.  In late March we had two 90 degree days followed
by a near frost the following week.  Last week we had another heat spell,
and then it seemed to settle down to normal late April weather - days in the
high 70s and nights in the 40s.  I decided the ground was warm enough to
plant my first row of beans, and I moved the tomatoes I had started indoors
in pots out into the screened porch to harden off.  I usually hang these 
pots
of cherry tomatoes in the breezeway.  Yesterday at the Teatown Plant Sale
Chet bought me a flat of white impatiens.  I contemplated setting them right
out, since it was sunny, but decided that since it was pretty windy, I would
put it off until today.  The wind was fierce during the night, and again 
this
morning.  The temperature was 39 degrees.  The wind is still fierce, and 
when I looked at my tomatoes on the screened porch, they look quite
frost-bitten.  I'm sure it's the wind-chill that did it.  They aren't dead, 
but
looked pretty burned.  I brought them in and hope they'll recover. Now they
tell us to expect a freeze tonight and again tomorrow night.  
I have a large planter of one of the hardy geraniums - can't remember which
one, but it has a small, fancy leaf, and pinky white flowers.  It has 
survived
for several winters just in the screened porch - no protection from the 
cold.
I put it in there for the winter so that the very large ceramic planter 
won't
crack from freezing and thawing.  Well, I had the handyman move it out
this week, thinking we were past all that.  When I just looked at it, it is
all wilted as if it were being frost-bitten.  It must be wind-chill, because
this plant has stayed green all winter through all kinds of bitter cold.  I
watered it well and hope it recovers, as it is just ready to burst into full
bloom.
At least I only planted a small row of beans, and used the experimental
variety that was sent with my order.  I was curious to see what they would
produce, but I'm sure these won't make it.
And the peas should benefit from this cold snap.  I was afraid that the
heat spells would get to them before they even began to produce.  Peas
really don't like hot weather, and I had been a little late getting them in
as the ground was snow-covered on St. Patrick's day, which is the 
traditional day to plant them around here.
Happy Mother's Day to all.
Auralie

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