The Last Frost, etc. and Your Perennials

[Nyboy]

Been grey and rainy alot here. I keep repeating April showers bring May's flowers

 

[ducks4you]

Yep, horses are in their stalls yet aNOTHER day bc of heavy rain. Wish I had planted some more beds to take advantage of this.

 

[thistlebloom]

Oh my @buckabucka ! You have my sympathy. Most of ours is gone, except where the biggest plowed berms are in the shade.
I thought I wouldn't be walking in the vegetable garden until mid April, but it's clear of snow now. Hoping for some warm days for you to hurry that snow melt along!

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

View attachment 19147 At this point, I'm wondering how I'm ever going to plant! Normally, I put the peas is around April 19th.
Here is our yard, morning of April 5th. A light coating of fresh snow, and big piles of snow and ice still waiting to melt.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I looked at pictures this time last year and I look like I am a month behind. My peppers last year in April were large and outside in under plastic. I started them last year and this year both March 11 or so. The ones this year have never been outside. My tomatoes are outside right now under the plastic greenhouse with a heat lamp. I have never used a heat lamp for the plants before and this winter was the first time I ever used one for the rabbits. I have collard greens and kale outside and they look stressed, so I started a few more tonight. My tomatoes look nothing like they did last year. The only thing that looks about the same are my onions.

 

[Nyboy]

Wow you had to use a heat lamp on your rabbits. We had the mildest winter anyone can remember

 

[digitS']

I have only limited experience with supplemental lighting and essentially no experience with providing 100% of the light plant starts require. And require, they do!

With little sunlight, my plants are behind. Will they catch up? Does it matter in the 2017 season. I don't know.

We are right back to rain clouds the WS tells us. Every time there is an "extra" 4 hours of sunshine that I wasn't allowing myself to expect, I feel sooo lucky! There I go again, using @so lucky 's handle. I feel so lucky to be able to see better than I expected, 24 years ago, so lucky to have more plant-growing and spirit-lifting light than I expected 24 hours ago .

Steve

 

[bobm]

Steve... it is raining on our umbrellas this morning, and the weather lady said that there is a whole series of storms headed our way. Guess what, they are headed your way.

 

[ducks4you]

I looked at pictures this time last year and I look like I am a month behind. My peppers last year in April were large and outside in under plastic. I started them last year and this year both March 11 or so. The ones this year have never been outside. My tomatoes are outside right now under the plastic greenhouse with a heat lamp. I have never used a heat lamp for the plants before and this winter was the first time I ever used one for the rabbits. I have collard greens and kale outside and they look stressed, so I started a few more tonight. My tomatoes look nothing like they did last year. The only thing that looks about the same are my onions.

How cold did it get in your neck of the woods?

 

[digitS']

I was out for a walk after the first storm had passed. Stopped at the big veggie garden first to see how the Tractor Guy did with his tiller. Then, on to my 30 minute walk/exercise.

The location was about 1/2 mile from the garden. It should be a little warmer there but about the same. There were those Mahonia (Oregon grape) along the walk. Not a single one had more than green flower buds.

I know that I'm late getting into the gardens this year - more than a week - but if I use that flower to to guide my pea planting, there's no reason for me to think I'm behind in sowing seed. Near the Oregon grape, there was one (1) buttercup. The tiny whitestem filaree weeds is blooming there but just a little. I never make it into a garden before that weed blooms! A neighbor not too far from the garden has forsythia in bloom but the flowers aren't fully open. The wild parsnip blooms aren't fully opened, either.

Sunday, the Weather Service says that there may be snow instead of rain in the morning but afternoon temperatures will be 52°f.

digitS'