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.…
Almost March, but it still feels like deep winter. Everything is white and still. The Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls is icy. And closed. Salmon Falls and the Potholes are frozen. Winter has not lost its hold
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…
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.…
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…
Yesterday was gold. Warm. Breezy. Today the skies are lead, and the cold rain is falling.
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. The sun is brilliant today although probably not as hot as the Arizona sun. The frost quickly melted. These petunias…
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.
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. 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…
I hope you can see how yesterday's heat - 88 degrees - is making the forsythia bloom as it never has before. We also have a lot of wind which is drying, but blossoms keep coming. All of a sudden the wild cherry trees in the chicken yard have burst into bloom. Last year we gambled on this weeping cherry, bought at Home Depot where I do not buy many plants, and it came through the winter and…