Spring planting

After a week or two of rain and cold temperatures, known in New England as Mud Season, we are now into full summer with 80 degree temperatures. Technically it's not summer for another month, but close enough. Tomatoes that are hardened off (gradullay accustomed to the harsh UV of the sun and the temperature extremes of night and day) can be planted outdoors now with almost no risk of frost kill.

Already growing in our gardens outdoors are:
strawberries (blossoms forming now)
Concord grapes (flower bud clusters forming -lots of them!)
apples (several varieties- blossoms fading now)
asparagus (We've already harvested two batches this spring.)
chives (ready to harvest)
garlic (from outdoor overwintered bulbs)
leeks (second year for seed)
chocolate mint
cilantro (tender to frost, but it self-seeded from last year and I guess it knows when it's safe to start growing)
lemon thyme (ready to harvest)
oregano (ready to harvest)
lovage (ready to harvest)
wintergreen (growing wild throughout our forest)
rosemary (freshly planted)
blackberries
garlic chives (ready to harvest)
(I had also planted Jerusalem artichokes, but they were eaten by moles (or voles or some other such little burrowing beastie)

Today, May 26th, I planted:
red cabbage
summer squash (yellow straight-neck)
cucumbers (Marketmore)
fennel
pickling cucumbers
tomatoes (roma, brandywine red, and another indeterminate heirloom variety whose name escapes me at the moment)

In the house I have:
1 large brandywine red tomato which I plant to grow throuhg the fall and into winter as long as I can keep it healthy and fruiting
6 miscellaneous miniature hot pepper (chili) plants in an Aerogarden
two freshly cloned brandywine red tomato plants

Those are the edilbes that we have growing at present. I'll add more soon, beets, green beans and others to be determined.

Easter snow for New England

After several days of warm weather last week that almost had us convinced that it was spring time, today we have two inches of snow. Fortunately, the only things we have planetd in the garden so far are plants that can withstand a little cold and snow. We have Jersualem artichokes in the ground. We've planted garden peas and lettuce. And of course, we've separated and replanted the garlic that was left in the ground as seed stock from last autumn.

There are also a number of perennials that are already growing. Strawberry plants are also growing already and we've dug and separted them. Chives, garlic chives, thyme, lemon thyme, and a few other herbs are already coming up and turning green as well. We don't expect these to be harmed at all by the brief return of wintry weather.

It isn't cold enough to hurt anything else that might be budding up around the yard like apple trees, lilacs, or any of the bulb plants (crocus, daffodil, and such) that are poking up through the ground either.

What the snow will do is keep the soil wet. That puts jerusalem artichoke tuber cuttings at slight risk of rot, but they are in a well-drained area so they should be ok.

The rest of our summer vegetables are still indoors, in seed starting trays, completely oblivious to the elements outdoors.

The snow is a reminder, however, that no matter how many seventy degree days we get in the early New England spring, there is always the possibility of cold and snow until we get into late May. Even then it's possible, although much rarer.