Saturday, May 12, 2018

Waiting for the Gardening to Begin

One day this past week, Tuesday I think it was, we had a smidge over 1/2" of rain.  This was the first moisture we've had since the last snow and, thankfully, moved our area out of the Very High fire danger down into Moderate.

We expected that once we got some precipitation, spring time would burst forth, and we would finally be able to say spring had arrived.

For almost a week, with the exception of that one rainy day, we've had wonderfully bright and beautiful days of sunshine, but temperatures hovering only in the 40s (maaaaybe nearing the 50s a couple of times) and nights cold enough (drat and blast) to show us ice on the poultry watering pans each morning.

I've turned off the grow-lights over my indoor started plants as they're getting so big I'm afraid they're going to suffer if I don't manage to get them outside soon.  (I haven't set any out yet, even under my cold frames.)  They're in front of a south facing window though so still have the natural sunlight.

I want to plant onions and potatoes and peas but have hesitated fearing the soil is simply still too cold.  Possibly not, but I'm waiting a bit more.  Bottom line, spring and our gardening season continues to be downright slow in arriving.  There's nothing one can do about it except dig deep for patience.  It's hard when I look at my calendar from last year and note that we took our first asparagus cutting just six days from now.  Today there's not a single asparagus even showing yet.

Gardening isn't easy in the north woods of Minnie-soda.  (Maybe if I changed my blog header photo it would help, you think?  The pond is totally free of ice now and the ducks and geese have all happily taken their first baths of the season after a long winter taking "sponge" baths in their drinking water!)

12 comments:

Michelle said...

Yep, it's definitely your blog header photo casting a winter curse over your weather – change it, quick! (Do you need to borrow a photo with green grass and blossoms? ;-)

Vera said...

How frustrating.... to have seedlings ready to be planted but the weather not allowing you to do so. Makes me feel less guilty about not having planted any seeds which have thrived this year. Weather here in SW France still being as difficult as yours is! No frost but a tendency to wet and cold and windy.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Yes, that must be it! Find a photo of Spring flowers and green grass. It'll come, and then you'll be scrambling around planting and maybe watering. We've had some nights with frost warning but I think we are good now. I saw an Amish woman in her garden yesterday, so that's a good sign! -Jenn

SmartAlex said...

In western NY we are a month behind. We had to turn the furnace back on this morning. We always turn it off May 1st. I have things in the cold frame and the carrots and peas are up. Yesterday we got almost 2 inches of rain and 50 degree temps. We went to the big Amish greenhouse and it was mobbed because apparently no one else was able to work outside either. But we all showed optimism! It will be two weeks before I will chance planting annuals in the garden or landscape so this week I'm going to separate the packs and plant in 6" peat pots so they can fill out instead of growing up only. One year I planted a whole flat of marigolds then got a hard freeze with wind. I had to go around and cover each one with a gallon pot held down with a rock! Most survived. But I'm not in a hurry to do that again.

Leigh said...

Interesting. You're concerned about your soil being too cold, and after a streak of days in the low 90s I'm worried about the soil getting too hot and dry. If it isn't chickens, it's feathers! Probably somewhere in the middle would be idea. :)

wisps of words said...

YES! That's the secret! Change your Header pic!!!!! That ice, is putting a "whammmmy" on your spring!!!! ,-))))))

Here, when spring really comes (and it has), doesn't really make any difference. But when you have a big garden, waiting to be planted, it does.

Yes, I suggest you change that Header. What could it 'hurt'???? :-)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Gardening our parts is a challenge this year too. Once it dries up, it rains again, so I'm pretty behind in everything out there.

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - Yes, change is comin'. I have plenty of photos of green grass and blossoms I'm aching to use, but that sure would NOT be representative of my scenery at the moment! Need more warm weather for that to be what I see out my window. Have a good "spring" picture to put up though, I think.

Vera - Cold, wet and windy is not what one wants to see this time of year, is it?! This is the first morning in several that we haven't had frost. Maybe we're on our way to something better now? I hope so. For you, too!

Jenn - Tell that Amish woman to keep sending good vibes to all the rest of us! If time allows, I think I'm going to chance putting out some starts under cold frames today. Whoopee! Can hardly wait . . .

SmartAlex - Yep, about a month behind this year sounds right to me, too. (Dang global warming. Haha.) Putting your starts in bigger pots is a lot of extra work, but we do what we have to do when it comes to gardening, that's for sure.

Leigh - Oh, I think of you and your gardening climate very frequently. Such a contrast between us! Yep, that old happy medium would be wonderful, but I don't think we stand a chance of getting it! :o)

wisps of words - Yep, gotta get the header changed! Crazy, busy weekend but I got very busy late yesterday afternoon and feel I have a jump on the week. Off to a meeting this morning, but hope to get out into the garden this afternoon. Weather looks to be warmer today so maybe this is the start of more of what we want weather-wise. I hope!

Kristina - We haven't had the rains to deal with, just the cold that hasn't allowed the soil to warm up enough. Sure hope you don't have too much rain as you did summer before last!

Susan said...

I am just as frustrated, but for slightly different reasons. The weather has finally leveled out and things (weeds) are busting out all over. Unfortunately, I have almost zero time to do anything with the mess. I'm trying not to hyperventilate over it and not having much luck.

Mama Pea said...

This time of year is so frustrating for me . . . and I have all day at home to take care of things. But once our winter ends (it was in the 70s yesterday in the sun) EVERYTHING needs doing at once. I can only imagine how it must be for you when you don't even have your weekends at home available for yourself because your family responsibilities and the weather playing mean tricks on you. Regardless, you always get great amounts done. Somehow, some way. You're a better (wo)man than I am, Gunga Din!!!

Rain said...

Hi Mama Pea :) I know how you feel...I'm ansty...the only reason I can plant my taters is because they are in containers. Otherwise the ground would be too cold still. All of my seedlings make the trek in and out of the house every day to get used to the temperatures...I can't wait to transplant them. That'll wait though, the unwritten rule is plant nothing until after Victoria Day!

Mama Pea said...

Rain - That job of trekking the seedlings out and then in every day drives me nuts! But what else can we do until they can actually be set outside in soil? 'Tis better to error on the safe side, than to subject them to frostbite!!