Gardening In PA 2015 - Its Been A Long Winter

[harryshoe]

Whenever I do something really strange, I feel its my duty to report my behavior here. Over the last two days I have spent an appreciable amount of time shoveling snow from my garden. OK, its not my hosta bed. Its my vegetable garden where stuff is coming next week which will need to be planted.

In some places the snow was 2' deep and the ground under it was rock hard from record-breaking cold this winter. I'm just hoping that the current warming trend will thaw things out in time.

I feel better now.

[kHT]

harryshoe, wish you were closer. I have room in the greenhouse after spending the last couple days pulling out plants.
This evening we had to recover the garden bed as we are to have rain for a few days! Glad to see it return as I have
just re-seeded the lawn now that it's all yellow. Wow, still 2 feet of snow? We didn't see anything but a dusting here.

[Chris_W]

Wow, what are you planting in two weeks? We still have two feet of snow and more in places but after a few days near 50 we now have little streams and deep puddles throughout the gardens now since the ground below is still so frozen. The garden across from the house, which is at the top of a large sandy/gravel hill, looks like a small pond. I've only seen that happen one other time and since all my dry loving ferns are in there I sure hope this water recedes quickly

Sure hope your ground thaws out enough to plant your plants but if not maybe you can pot them up for a while.

Good luck.

Chris

[Tigger]

Tradition dictates we plant peas outside on St. Patrick's day, but I think that's not happening this year! Lettuce starts could go out soon after, but I haven't started mine indoors yet. I need to pot up my hosta babies first (I got a few streakers), and start the callas and caladiums (some of which are already sprouting). Tomato seeds soon, too...

And now it looks like my big lump of international travel for work (India and China) are going to happen during peak garden prep season, mid-May through early June. Yikes! Good thing that hubby is currently unemployed (a situation I hope doesn't last too long). I'll be gardening by proxy from the other side of the world.

David

[party_music50]

harryshoe, wish you were closer so you could shovel mine too.

tigger, it sounds like it's all a mix of good and bad events and timing, but I'm sure your gardens will continue to look fabulous!

[harryshoe]

Just a few days later the ground is thawed and ready for preparation. I'm planting an asparagus bed. Plants are due early next week. The old timers like to say "an asparagus bed can produce 20- 30 years. But you only get one chance to prepare the soil beneath the plants".

I'm going out to see if the bags of composted manure have thawed yet.

I can't even locate my hosta beds which are still under a foot of snow despite this week of warm weather.

Harry