T is for Thoreau on the A to Z Challenge.

Henry David Thoreau’s cabin – and me 2010

T is for Thoreau, author of Walden and many many journals in which “[he omitted] the unusual - the hurricanes and earthquakes – and described  the common.”  He had always recorded the weather and the natural scene in a sporadic and fragmented way, but in July of 1852 he declared a year of observation, a ‘year’ that lasted through 1861.  Amidst the the poetry of his prose, and his record of his own responses to the world, he began a careful record of the passing seasons, noting temperatures, leaf break, frost, and blooming seasons of many plants.

I love Walden and reread it from time to time, but I have not read much in the journals. It was with some surprise that I read in yesterday’s New York Times Book Review an essay by Andrea Wulf about the use that modern science is making of the journals. “Richard Primack, a professor of biology at Bsoton University, has collaborated with colleagues at Harvard to use the observations in Thoreau’s journals as the basis for groundbreaking studies in climate change,” she wrote.

Walden Pond

What the scientists have discovered is that the average tempeature of our springs  is 48 degrees, but Thoreau recorded an average of 42 degrees during his day. Also the first flowering of 32 species of flower has moved to 11 days early. Early blooming flowers have been more affected by the change in temperatures, than later blooming flowers, but the change is undeniable.

I wrote more about Walden Pond and my visit in 2010 here.

I have written about Andrea Wulf’s brilliant and engaging books about gardens and plant and American history here in a review of The Brother Gardeners featuring America’s first botanist John Bartram and his botanical adventures, and a review of The Founding Gardeners about Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Madision here.

To see what else begins with T click here at the A to Z Challenge.

Spring Chores in the Garden

It is time to begin spring chores. But exactly how do we know when spring is beginning? A tough question. The only sure answer is that it did not begin on March 20 this year when the temperature was 16 degrees at 7 in the morning and remained cold and cloudy all day.

It was a very different story last year when the snowdrops were in full bloom and my first temperature record was 54 degrees with sun. The first day of spring 2012 led us into several warm days that had me planting lettuce, radishes and beets in the Early Garden in front of the house. I also started working in the main fenced garden, but this year I hadn’t even tried trudging through the snow to the main garden until April 7^th..

As far as I can tell from my records the last frost last year was April 6. Amazing. There were cold and chilly days after that, to be sure, but my temperature readings, usually taken around 7 a.m., do not go below 30 and I do not note frost. Actually all of us can remember what an early spring we had with a fair amount of rain.

So how do we try to figure out a planting schedule based on estimated number of weeks from last frost?  Memorial Day weekend seems too timid, but this year I am starting to feel timid again.

What spring chores can we do? I finally got out and did some clean-up raking, because the snow had melted on the south slope in front of the house. However, I know spring raking and clean up is well begun in the lower elevations.

The calendar says seeds can be started in Heath, and I do have a few seedlings sprouted. I bought more peat pots, and more seeds are being planted, parsley, basil, and broccolini.  At the same time, I am hoping that I can plant peas in the ground within a week or two. Last year at this time I was planting seeds and seedlings in the Front Garden, and in the main garden. I did not trust the warm weather and covered all plantings with floating row covers. They protected tender seedling from the cold and from the rabbits that have been such a problem.

A walk in the main garden on Wednesday showed me that the melting snow is sending little streams of water here and there, occasionally making a little waterfall into a mole hole. There will be no planting here for a while.

It’s time to get out the pruners to thin out red and black raspberry canes.  My husband just took the loppers and a saw to do a major pruning of the Sargent crabapple. It is now much more horizontal and architectural. I still have to do some of the finer pruning. Sargent crabs love to be pruned.

Any perennials that were left to provide winter interest or food for the birds can be cut back in preparation for the new growth. I am always surprised at how early and how quickly perennials grow in the spring. This is a time when I can also start thinking about which perennials can be divided  and shared with the Bridge of Flowers plant sale in May.

To make sure I am not forgetting some of the obvious garden tasks that can be done in this early season I have been reviewing  the Week by Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook written by Ron Kujawski and Jennifer Kujawski.  Ron was an Extension Educator at the University of Massachusetts for 25 years and I know I can always look to him for good advice and information.

The Kujawski’s Handbook is useful not only because it gives you practical information about every aspect of vegetable gardening from soil building, starting seedlings, container plantings and controlling insects, and on through the harvest, the book is arranged like a three year garden journal so you can put in your own weather and planting records that will help you with your own garden planning.

Father and daughter Kujawski give tips about “petting” vegetable seedlings to help them be sturdier, the value of vinegar and clove oil to kill weeds, how to handle squash borers,  and a whole list of trouble-shooting to handle plant symptoms.

They also describe a slightly different technique of sheet composting. In the fall they dig a foot deep trench, fill it with six inches of kitchen waste (vegetable matter only) and then top it with soil. It will rot over the winter and in the spring you will have a rich fertile planting bed.

This is a technique that I have also heard referred to as ‘trench’ composting. One friend told me she essentially used this method, but she dug large round holes, and filled them halfway with kitchen waste, then soil. She marked each hole with a stake and planted her squash and pumpkins there in the spring.

Please let me know how far have you gotten with your spring chores. Once spring takes hold, the race is on.

Between the Rows  April 6,2013

Still Winter Everywhere

Yellow Birch in snowfall

Almost March, but it still feels like deep winter.

Praying mantis in the snow

Everything is white and still.

Bridge of Flowers in February

The Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls is icy. And closed.

Salmon Falls

Salmon Falls and the Potholes are frozen. Winter has not lost its hold

Days Grow Longer and Cold Grows Stronger

Paperwhite daffs from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs

The days grow longer, so even though we are ‘enjoying’ a week of zero temperatures – and below – we can feel the shifting of seasons. The paperwhites that Brent and Becky sent along with my order as a bonus to cheer those of us who lived through Superstorm Sandy are indeed encouraging.

I potted up my paperwhites in late November and kept them out in our bright unheated Great Room until January 6. Unlike most daffodils they do not need chilling in order to bloom but I wanted that bloom when the excitement of Christmas was over and when I was facing what I consider the longest month of the year, February.

Days grow longer and my lasitude begins to shift, but still the days grow colder which keeps me tethered to the house and as many hours near the woodstove as I can manage. This year I am not complaining about the cold. It is my understanding that one of the reasons for the increase in the number of ticks and terrible invasive insects like the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorn beetle is the mildness of our recent winters. We need the winter cold to rid ourselves of these destructive insects. The city of Worcester, not far from us, has lost many of its trees due to a serious invasion of the asian longhorn beetle.

The days grow longer. What cheers you?

The First Snowfall of the Year

The first REAL snowfall of the year

I am counting this as the first  snowfall of the year, although there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground on Christmas so we  could all have a white Christmas and get an extra helping of Christmas spirit. Now we can enjoy the post-Christmas tranquillity, sitting by the fire, watching the snow snowing and the wind blowing. This photo was taken at 7 a.m.

More Christmas is coming with further gatherings with family and friends. Gourmet Club! and then we will enjoy more post-holiday tranquillity.

UPDATE – 3 p.m.

Snow December 27 3 p.m.

Over a foot of snow has fallen, with only a bit of snow still flurrying.

FURTHER UPDATE  December 28  11 a.m.

View to the south

Priorities and Preparations for Hurricane Sandy

Garlic Planted October 26, 2012

While Hurricane Sandy was making its slow and warning filled way to Heath we had to set priorities and make preparations to weather the storm. With so much notice, and stories about a possible Sandy snow  storm (like last year) I realized it was time to plant the garlic. Fortunately I had already prepared the bed so it didn’t take much to pull apart my choice garlic bulbs and plant each clove about eight inches apart in four rows. Then I mulched the wide row with slightly rotted straw from the not-very-successful tomatoes-in-a-strawbale experiment. That story in a post soon.

Beaver damage

With up to 8 inches of rain predicted we set off for the Frog Pond to see if the beavers really were back and what they had been up to. The walk down to the pond showed definite signs of their presence.

Frog Pond October 28, 2012

The level of the pond was very high and the beavers had clearly been working on the old lodge that was abandoned during the summer. There is an overflow pipe that keeps the pond at a reasonable level, but the beavers always block it. Instant beaver dam. Those lazy creatures.

Beaver lodge closeup

We did not try to get close to the beaver lodge and just set to work clearing out the overflow.

Frog Pond Overflow Pipe Flowing

Fortunately it did not take Henry long to unclog the pipe and send water gushing through into the wetland area below the pond.  We’ll have to check the pond again right after the storm passes because it does not take those beavers long to plug up the overflow.

Bridge of Flowers – Closed for the Season

This morning I was up at dawn to get down to Shelburne Falls to help close the Bridge of Flowers before Hurricane Sandy arrived in full force. Officially closed for the season! Let the storm begin!  Not too hard.

ADDENDUM – Although it didn’t seem like much of a storm we lost power around 2 pm Monday afternoon, and just got power and the phone back around 2 pm today, Tuesday. We did not suffer at all except for worrying about our full freezer. We are so fortunate, and know others really are suffering and our hearts go out to them.

Days of Gold, Days of Lead

Golden Days of Fall

Yesterday was gold. Warm. Breezy.

Rainy fall day

Today the skies are lead, and the cold rain is falling.

Our First Frost – September 25, 2012

Tomatoes after frost

We had our first frost last night. It was not a heavy frost, but the lawn was slightly frosted and the temperature was 37 degrees at 6:30 am. It was severe enough to kill the tomatoes and squash, but nothing else was much affected. Even the basic in front of the house, where it is protected, wasn’t nipped.

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'

The sun is brilliant today although probably not as hot as the Arizona sun. The frost quickly melted.

Petunias

These petunias stand in for all the potted  flowers that are still blooming right in front of the house where they are protected. Fuschias, million bells, gazanias, verbenas. Our house face due south so our piazza is a bit of a heat sink and a space I love.

Only a few roses are in bloom, most notably Thomas Affleck. However when I walked down the Rose Walk this morning I saw that young roses like Winter Sunset  that was still producing buds had been nibbled. Deer! Grrrrrrrrrr.

Japanese anemones

Japanese anemones look fragile, but they are very hardy. Lots of buds still.  On the other hand I am now giving myself permession to cut back the daylilies.

The vegetable garden isn’t quite done. I haven’t yet harvested the winter squash, or most of the leeks. I have a little planting of lettuce and mesclun  that we are beginning to eat.  We have some warm weather in store, I am sure. Remember Indian Summer?  That will only arrive after a killing frost.

April Showers and May Basket

May Basket

I awoke to a delicious soft rain – and a beautiful May Basket. Pansies, grape hyacinths and chocolate. I wonder who is celebrating May Day with me.

Welcome Rain – Welcome Book by Charlie Nardozzi

A bright lull between showers

After a dry winter and an extremely dry spring we finally have rain – two and a half inches in the last 24 hours.  I’ve been reading away the rainy hours with Northeast Fruit and Vegetable Gardening by Charlie Nardozzi.

Onions, kale, and broccoi seeded

It has been a perfect rain. Hours of rain have penetrated the thirsty earth without washing away newly dug and seeded beds. The seeds and seedlings I planted just before the rain are really happy. More rain is on its way, possibly only intermittent showers over the next couple of days, just what the garden needs. And the rain has sent me back indoors to spend more time with Charlie

Northeast Fruit and Vegetable Gardening

There are many books about vegetable gardening, and some are good books, but Nardozzi’s book, Northeast Fruit and Vegetable Gardening: Plant, Grow, and Eat the Best Edibles for Northeast Gardens, does focus on advice and information for those of us in the northeast which ranges from New Jersey to Maine and all the way west to Buffalo, New York. The first 90 pages give some of the most complete information and advice I have ever seen about zones, frost dates, soils, fertilizers, insects, insect control, animal pests like rabbits and deer (grrrrrrr!) and others, as well as that all important decision – where to locate the garden.

I have not often seen the point made that a new gardener should not only start small (advice I never took, alas) but also locate the garden where she will see it all the time. A garden located where you cannot avoid passing it every day will be better cared for, no matter whether you are a new or experienced gardener. You will see those new weeds sprouting, and the need to water. And you will probably have easy access to water. Of course if that convenient spot also drains well, you are halfway to success.

I have the main part of my vegetable and berry garden at the end of the Rose Walk where I wander every day. Now I also have the small Early Garden (also known as the Front Garden) right in front of the house. This southern garden is protected from the wind, very sunny, and has great drainage. I’ve been improving the soil. This is my third spring with the Early Garden that gives me those early greens and radishes. Yum.

The rest of Charlie Nardozzi’s book is devoted to encyclopedia-type entries for individual vegetables, herbs and fruits. He explains when, where and how to plant, maintain and harvest as well as possible problems and suggested suitable varieties. My Brussels sprouts were miserable last year. Even though I will rotate the Brussels sprouts, I’m working to enrich that section of garden of soil and I will keep Nardozzi’s advice in mind at the end of the summer. He says if the sprouts are not forming well, the top six inches of the plant can be removed to make more energy available to the rest of the plant.

Charlie Nardozzi (who lives in Vermont) is new to me, but he wrote Vegetable Gardening For Dummies and The Ultimate Gardener. He does radio, and TV, and works with organizations like Gardener’s Supply and Shelburne Farms on kid’s gardening projects. And we all know that Cool Springs Press has the best books about gardening and plants, books that are dependable and engaging. Cool Springs and Nardozzi, quite a combo.