Yah, the days fly by and turn into months. My cousin reminded me today that I have a blog, so here I am. It's chilly and blustery. The wind has roared for days and days, and beat my newly planted flowers to pieces. It really can be merciless. We woke up this morning to a yard that had blossomed into plastic grocery bag flowers overnight. Frost, we feared, and struggled to cover the tomatoes and tender things. Somewhere my horticulturist ex-boss is quietly not saying, "I warned you."
I told myself that gardening is different here, and it is safe to plant things earlier. I have learned that it is indeed safe to plant things on an 80-degree afternoon in March. It's the 40-degree nights of late April that cause chagrin and regrets.
I blame Lowe's and the garden centers. They are tempters indeed, and my gardening genes scream with recognition and longing when the first hanging baskets begin appearing in January! I know better, so I held out until March and April. Sucker! I'm sure these plant emporiums count heavily on the second, post-late frost wave of sales to make their living.
But it's like my Grandma Bryant always said, "Thou shalt not plant thy tomatoes before Mother's Day." The signs are against it, she'd add. Not where I live, Grandma. Here the signs all say: "I'm the prettiest little plant thing you've ever seen. Come in and buy me." Never could resist a talking plant.
I told myself that gardening is different here, and it is safe to plant things earlier. I have learned that it is indeed safe to plant things on an 80-degree afternoon in March. It's the 40-degree nights of late April that cause chagrin and regrets.
I blame Lowe's and the garden centers. They are tempters indeed, and my gardening genes scream with recognition and longing when the first hanging baskets begin appearing in January! I know better, so I held out until March and April. Sucker! I'm sure these plant emporiums count heavily on the second, post-late frost wave of sales to make their living.
But it's like my Grandma Bryant always said, "Thou shalt not plant thy tomatoes before Mother's Day." The signs are against it, she'd add. Not where I live, Grandma. Here the signs all say: "I'm the prettiest little plant thing you've ever seen. Come in and buy me." Never could resist a talking plant.
