March 1, 2015
Sitting here after working all morning, now hiding from the cold. Spring is definitely on the way. This is a delightful part of the year with all the birds returning for summer. Robins of course, but there was a flock of geese out in the pasture this morning keeping Bob company. It's amazing how much a well developed garden has to offer our wildlife. there are redstarts, juncos, meadow sparrows and blue jays everywhere. I even saw the first bluebird today. We don't even put feed out for the birds.
Over the last few years,something amazing has been happening each spring. Because of our late springs, hundreds of male robins have been showing up in the trees in our garden. We have a fifty year old American holly and in the winter it is always dripping with berries. When the ground is completely frozen, or covered by snow, the omnivorous robins are hungry. Luckily for us our tree has become big enough to support hundreds of these male robins. It's a high traffic robin airport with dozens flying in, eating their fill before the next group of arrivals lands. This goes on all day long, some years for days at a time,wave after wave, all the boys sit contentedly in the surrounding trees, no fighting just sharing. Amazing how the evolution of these two species for millions of years was for the benefit of both. I guess our winters are not getting longer, it's just a cycle.
The next amazing spring event which I always anticipate is the waves of blackbirds that should arrive in a couple of weeks. Thousands of birds in synchronized waves covering acres of ground at a time. Within seconds, they're in the air again, rolling across the countryside over and over.
March 24 2014
Spring is just a few days old and winter's not done with us yet! It was 16 degrees here last night(unusual for this late in March but not unheard of) We're all a little tired of winter! Anyway, this is a good time to trim back and clean up. I just finished the perennial beds and just that makes it feel like spring. It's coming I promise. Start planting your peas and lettuces and cole crops (broccolli cauliflower, collards,kale) and pansies are a great touch of color in those tired looking pots for the next 8 weeks until the impatiens are ready. In the toasty greenhouse all the little plants are started and growing, getting ready to be sold when the weather warms up. Easter is late this year April 20.
April 5, 2013 this year's first day of Spring!
I've been putting off any gardening advice until the weather had warmed up a little bit and it has finally happened! We're finally going to get some warm weather. In the gardening hobby the true test of when to start is all dependant on the night time temperatures and it was 25 degrees for two nights last week. THE COLD AND WINDY DAYS HAVEN'T BEEN MUCH BETTER This year, even my Okame cherries just started to bloom, some years they start to bloom in mid February! Anyway. the cold is ending as it always does and the night temperatures are going to be 45 - 50 degrees for the next ten days so it's time to get to work! We're at least three weeks behind but no prob, who wants to work in the cold anyway, I don't, gardening is about enjoying the outdoors even if it is work. On a positive note this is the best year yet for chemical spot weed control in the perennial beds. Nothing has leafed out and all those winter annuals (those pesky weeds that seem to still be growing at Christmas)are growing leaving them perfectly vulnerable to a spot treatment. Take your herbicide sprayer, mix a tankful of kleenup, and in about 30 minutes you can save yourself about 8 hours of weeding four weeks from now. I don't use a lot of chemicals but, this is one I count on to save me work. I use it in my perennial beds for weeds and for any perennial that gets out of control. It kills plants dead. The reason I use it so much is because it has no residual life in the soil. Once on the leafsurface it vaporizes and has no lasting effect on the earth but does a great job of killing weeds roots and all. I've even used it to kill the notorious bamboo!
Anyway, what to do? If you haven't, cut back and rake all the perennial beds, quick before they start to grow. You still have some time before you have to mulch! Remove all last year's debris from the vegetable garden. Time to fertilize, lime and start your vegetable garden. Plant peas! It's great fun and one of the fastest and most care-free vegetables Time to plant lettuce, spinach all the cole crops( broccoli, cabbage, chards), and herbs, (NOT BASIL) pansies,petunias, lobelia, allysum and more. We have them all. Do you know why you can plant all these things so early? It's because all these things pretty much can't take too much heat. They either make flowers and die or they just die outright once it gets too hot! Don.t go overboard with the early vegetables. That soil that has so few weeds in it now will be a weed patch in four weeks, those seeds are just sitting there waiting for it to get warmer, the little buggers. Hate the weed, enjoy the therapy of weeding!
PLANT TREES. SHRUBS AND PERENNIALS NOW! The cool nights and rainy days are perfect for root establishment.
Fertilize your lawn, lime and kill the dandelions now. Don't forget to put down a crabgrass preventer it will be too late in a few weeks.
Prune and start spraying your fruit trees now, almost too late for pruning. Unwrap your fig trees.
Tonight's the last night of temps in the thirties for a while.
I'll be offering unsolicited advice on my website at least every week, forty years of vocational and avocational experience could help.
If you want to check out my old posts go to blogster.com jimspeaks. I'll only be posting here from now on.
Remember, plant only the things you like, enjoy this season, and get your hands dirty. Life is short. Jim Pope
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