As I head out to the garden on this lovely May March morning,
I will not panic at the sight of lilacs in bloom and run inside to check the calendar again.
I will not falter in my quest to remove all the weeds that seem to think this early spring means “grow faster”.
I will not go faster just because my eyes see blooms that make me think it is May, not March.
I will not worry about April, with her cruel frosts and freezes.
I will not speed up my planting and plant anything that is frost tender before May 10th, our traditional frost-free date.
I will enjoy the lilacs.
I will steadfastly weed.
I will pace myself.
I will graciously accept whatever weather April brings.
I will follow my usual timetable for spring planting and prepping in the garden.
Even if Mother Nature doesn’t.
It is hard to think about the cruelty of April, isn't it? My dogwood is about to bloom! It's like the Flower & Patio Show where everything blooms at once, even if not natural. But this year, is nature following art? What will the rest of the season hold? Great advice, though, about holding off on frost tender plants.
Thanks Carol; it's good to know I'm not the only one! I've been mentally arguing with myself about when to start my seeds. My last frost date isn't until May 31st, traditionally. Like you, we've had a very warm spring so far, and while I'd like to be optimistic and start things early, I know that Mother Nature loves to be unpredictable!
Good luck to you and all of us gardeners in pacing ourselves! It's been incredibly hard for me – my brain refuses to understand that it's still March. Your post captured exactly the conversation I've been having with myself!
I'm fortunate that I have so much digging and weeding to do before I can even start contemplating planting and sowing, so my garden has its own way of preventing me from prematurely planting out dahlias or sowing annuals…
This is exactly what I my senses have been telling me but I haven't yet stopped trying to get ahead of the weeds long enough to put it into words. And now maybe a frost tomorrow? Yikes.
"April is the cruelest month" Freeze warning for us on Monday.
As I sit in the north west of England, we have glorious sunshine and unseasonal warmth here, too. The lilac isn't out yet, but your words are timely reminders not to get too excited…
What a year it's been for all of us and that's following a summer and fall of drought. In the meantime being in the here and now makes the bestest sense. xogail
PERFECT post! You say it all so well! (and I'm right there with you!)
You do well to be wary. We have been having milder weather than normal, too, and a low of 14F is predicted for Monday night.
Smart of you to not be fooled by this warmth, Carol, even if some of the plants are, like the lilacs. Ours are blooming as well, about 2 weeks early. But no seeds, no tomatoes, no peppers, not even tender annuals held in the greenhouse all winter are going outside until the official last frost date. We must be strong!
I know what you mean, everything looks beautiful enjoy while we can!
Eileen
i have a blog like yours,but your blog is better than mine.learn it.
I feel the same way. I will enjoy! Go with the flow!
Thanks for rallying confused gardeners like me with calls for calm and patience during crazy weather times! I'm just wondering if there will be anything left to bloom in June and July. If not, so be it. (My newly-calm philosophy).
I believe that's a common concern among us gardeners, only that you have the nerves to say it all here. In a gardeners perspective, timing is always one of the keys. So I think this post speaks it all.