Sun - Snow - Rain - Freeze - Sun - Sweat and Snow Once Again

This spring, it seems the temperature extremes are swinging wildly here in Pennsylvania. Perhaps I am just paying more attention. I remember when I first started gardening in Nebraska, a neighbor told me the last chance of frost was May 1st. I was shocked and in disbelief, because I was outside in shorts on April 13th. Of course, farmers and gardeners have much more wisdom when it comes to the weather because they simply pay attention. Year in and year out, we log temperatures and weather patterns and note when and where plants emerge their pointy little heads or wispy little sprouts.

It is hard to keep one's chin up during these bits of hopeful sunshine and then the slam of snowstorms drowning out the plans for the garden that day. The gray skies and brutal winds are the last thing our soul is craving in March. To combat the weather this year, I am trying to see the bonus of these wild swings.

A. Maple Sap - The sap flowed freely longer than normal this year. Hard freezes and sunny thaws are the perfect combination for lots of sap!

B. "Winter Sowing"  - I did not get around to true winter sowing this year in January, but these early spring snows and ice storms have given me the opportunity to do so. The upside of snow in spring is for cool season seeds. They need that freeze/thaw cycle to loosen up the protective seed coats in order to sprout. This process can be imitated by the gardener by placing seeds in hot water, chemical baths, freezing them in the freezer, scratching the seed coats individually with a nail file, etc. However, sprinkling them on top of the snow and letting nature do the work is much easier. An added benefit is being able to see the seeds on the white snow, thus spacing is easier and more exact.

C. Watering - Snow melting provides steady, constant moisture for seeds. When I get my seeds sown in (or before a) snow, I don't have to worry about watering for days, if not weeks.

She is sprinkling "fairy dust" over the seeds I sow -- a little sand! She gets to help sow, but the spacing of seeds stays a little less "clumpy".

Below is the vegetable garden. It was covered in leaves and grass for the winter and I pulled away the leaves to make little trenches for cool season seeds a few weeks ago. Once they get growing, I hope to just move the leaves over as mulch and start a new trench in between rows for a second crop. I have not had to water once, thanks to snow.

Here are my winter-sown seeds this year:

Lupine (Russell Mix)

Borage

Cabbage (Cour di Bue, Brunswick and Early Jersey)

Carrots (Oxheart for our bad soil and Cosmic Purple)

"Fancy" Queen Anne's Lace (Chocolate Laceflower and Queen of Africa)

Iceland Poppies

California Poppies

Breadseed Poppies

Lettuce, Spinach

Evening Scented Stock

Apricot Stock

Bells of Ireland

Covent Gardens Baby's Breath

Love in A Mist (Delft Blue and my own seed)

Hollyhocks (Nigra, Majorette Double Champagne and my own seeds)

Bronze Fennel

White (Common) Yarrow

Lemon Balm

Cosmos and Phlox (just a couple to test germination)

Amaranth (Coral Fountains)

Morning Glory (Heavenly Blue and my own seeds)

Most are heirloom varieties that are open pollinated, so I am hoping to collect seed from and grow my stock of these veggies and flowers. The hollyhock, morning glories and love-in-a-mist are from my garden last year and the rest were purchased this year, mainly from Baker Creek and Floret.

D. The daffodil show has been extended! Early sunny days back in February saw the daffodils and even some tulips popping their heads up to see what was going on. Then, there was snow. The bulbs just slowed down, then grew like lightening whenever the temperatures would warm and the snow melted. The daffodils started blooming and have been blooming and blooming and blooming in a slow, steady show for weeks now. They aren't finished either. Hyacinths and hellebores are both up and blooming. The tulips are almost ready to start their show and I appreciate the slow boil this year.

These are the long awaited tulips from Longfield Gardens - planted last fall in THIS POST

E. There is no rush this year. Typically, the winter is filled with planning and seed buying, then everything gets going all at once in spring. Chores are missed, seed packets are misplaced and the planting window passes and all the sudden the weeds have taken over. This year has been a bit more peaceful. There have been more days to think about and sow cool season flowers and veggies. Daily walks to see what has sprouted and just a few weeds to contend with. Am I anxious for the peonies to get up and the cherry trees to get blooming? YES. However, I have enjoyed this slower start to spring and the chance to plan a little more and sow a little more.

So, sunny Easter dresses one day...

...and skiing down the driveway the next...

Happy Spring 2018!