With the windy chill of late March and the showers of April behind us, early May looks to provide a wonderful assortment of spring blooming plants. The unusually warm winter and early spring has definitely pushed many plants into an earlier bloom period, but hopefully seasonal temperatures will dominate for May. May is always a hectic month, so take the time to make notes in your journal and enjoy long evening strolls with your favorite beverage to smell and enjoy the fruits of your efforts…
Bruce Crawford
COVID certainly changed our lives in many negative ways yet, one positive change remains our renewed interest in gardening for both exercise and fresh air. Many of us have come to appreciate the beauty of plants and the calming act of working in the soil. Winter sales of vegetable and annual seeds continue to remain strong as we eagerly await the warmer days of April for seeding! As the sun and warmth of April unfold, take a deep breath and prioritize what must be completed vs. what could be postponed for a day or two. Also, spring is a time to begin anew, so give thought on…
March can be such a finicky month! Several years ago, there was a long warm spell followed by two nights of extremely cold temperatures. The result was a massive dieback of Hydrangeas and a resulting loss of blooms for that year! Some years we see snow storm after snow storm, while some years it is merely rain. So far it has been a somewhat warmer winter with less than average snowfall. Keep referring to your notes or diary from last year as to when you sowed seed and performed other chores as you need not reinvent the wheel.
The month of January had near to above normal temperatures, a theme begun in December. February is now the month to finalize any design considerations for the year to come since March becomes busy with outdoor gardening activities. This month is also the time to complete the ordering of seeds, since many of the more popular varieties will soon, if not already become sold out.
January always begins with the festivities surrounding the Holiday Season, but reality soon returns as gardeners face short and often cloudy days, cold temperatures and a sleeping garden. Looking on the positive side, we now have the leisure of working in the Garden when our time or the weather suits our schedule, since the garden is in a state of suspended animation so to speak.
