The chilly wet weather continued to hang around this week. Our official last average frost day is April 26, so this isn’t completely unheard of, but we don’t usually get snow. It didn’t stick, but the last time we saw snow this late in the year was 1911 so it was a pretty big deal. A little farther north they did have some accumulation, and sadly many trees were waking up, and the weight of the snow and the shock of the low temperatures did break limbs and cause damage.
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Down here the damage wasn’t so bad, considering, but the weather hit just as the pear tree was in full bloom, so it remains to be seen if there will be very many pears this year. The old tree has had a couple of very bountiful years, so if it gets a break this year I’m sure it deserves it. Hopefully there will be enough pears for a batch of cider vinegar because I would really like to share that recipe.
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Let’s take a tour of the garden!
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The flowers mostly bided their time this week, so not a lot of new news. The grass is growing like crazy, though. I like to wait as long as I possibly can for these fritillaries to finish their moment, but I got out with the string trimmer and cut around them so I could get the rest of the edges. This cluster of mushrooms is just one of many— there appears to be a fairy ring around the currant bushes.
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I am really enjoying the orange tulips against the reddish new growth on the roses. It is kind of a nod to fall color in spring. More tulips are waiting for a little bit of warmpth and sun to open the rest of the way.
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Vegetable Garden
It’s all about Swiss Chard in the vegetable garden this week. I plant this in July to eat in spring, and it is huge and lush now. It could just keep growing there indefinitely, but I will have to pull it to plant peppers and eggplants in a couple of weeks.
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Seedling Nursery
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The little seedlings that we potted up last week are ready for gallon pots or to go in the ground. Last year by this time everything was hardened off and outside on the back deck, which has a translucent roof. It was warmer during the day, and I was able to cover them if the temperatures were forecasted to dip too low. This year, the daytime temperatures are staying low, high of 55 at most, so I haven’t started the hardening off process with anything but this sad little tray of collards and celery. I’m really hoping to be able to get some things moved outside next week, because I want to start some more plants and I’m out of space.
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Garden tasks for this Weekend
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- Mowing and edging
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- Weeding
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- Big Projects that will be miserable in the summer heat. In my case, I’m smashing this brick wall.
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This represents about 4 hours of brick smashing. Next time I’m renting a breaker.
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When the house was inspected, we were told that these brick planters in front were a bad idea. The foundation vent is boarded off behind them, the plants are up against the siding, they really should go. I took a look, and they do actually have the foundation vents clear back there, but the plants are growing against the house. I don’t love how it looks to have the privet smashed up against the house like that, it feels constricted to me. Plus, the bricks are different than the chimney bricks, but not different enough to look intentional. Plus, they were cracked in the corner anyway.
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I’m hoping to dismantle the bricks and cut the privet out to transplant into the edge of the bed that I have defined. Most of the garden is very cottage, and I think a nicely tamed low privet hedge will probably be a good contrast. These are so rootbound that they are holding their shape as the bricks come down, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for them.
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What are you working on this weekend?
Let us know what the weather looks like where you live! Is spring coming slowly or quickly for you? Are you working on any big projects now before the summer heat?
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