If you look at stereotypical images of spring it is always blue skies and perfectly formed flowers and blossoms, delicate seedlings and maybe a gentle shower or two. I would have a hard job capturing any image that even remotely resembles this spring ideal. Winter won’t let go! It is cold – not spring chilly, but harsh winter cold. It is wet – not spring shower wet, winter deluge wet. It is also windy – not spring breezes, but howling gales and don’t get me started on the hail! How am I supposed to get my garden off to a good start if spring won’t start?
I’ll be surprized if I get any fruit in my orchard as all the blossoms have been blown away and if any bees were able to brave the winds before that happened then I’d be impressed. My poor onions and garlic have been pock marked with hail scars and I worry that this could allow nasties and greeblies to get in. Hail always comes out of the blue and so there isn’t a lot you can do to protect them from it.
I want to get outside and do things. I have itchy green thumbs. I have beds to prepare and the weeds are creeping back into the ones I have already done. The grass has grown again and you wouldn’t believe I mowed a week ago. It is so unruly. The safe planting date is only weeks away and at this rate I won’t be ready for it despite a great start early on.
But at least I have my greenhouse. My seedlings in there are warm, dry and safe from being buffeted by the harsh wind. The rate of growth astounds me every season. I only transplanted them out from the seed raising mix a few short weeks ago and now it would seem they are almost ready to be put in even bigger pots. At this rate I will run out of space!
The long term forecast doesn’t look great either. I can only hope the boffins have got it wrong again.
Come again soon – hopefully normal spring conditions will resume shortly.
Sarah the Gardener : o )
Hi Sarah … oh I know just what you mean about the weather. Horrible! Gosh I haven’t seen damage like that before on the garlic. I had no idea that hail could be so destructive. Don’t your seedlings look happy in that greenhouse! 🙂
Hi Julie, You can see just how heavy our hail storms have been. It’s not just the garlic with the hail scars, it is the onion, my Christmas Lillies, the rhubarb – anything with a fleshy leaf or stalk. The more tender leaves like the broad beans and silver beet have holes ripped through them. It has been terrible for hail damage so far this spring. Hooray for a good sturdy greenhouse!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Oh dear Sarah .. I would be devastated.
Oh no, not nasties and greeblies! That’s what our spring was like–and I’m jealous of your greenhouse. My limp, late garden was a total sorry affair, late spring and the summer that never was. I hope yours is better.
Hi there. Yeah – you gotta watch those nasties and greeblies! Gosh I hope our summer doesn’t decide to copy yours. I was determined this one was going to be the perfect one, because I feel we are owed it. I don’t think we have had the ideal summer for several years. There is still hope.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Great that you have such an abundance in your greenhouse though. What a fabulous forest of toms! Interesting to hear that you have seen speedy growth amongst your seedlings. I started some of mine off indoors. When I transferred to the greenhouse (we needed the table to eat our dinner!!) they really sulked big time. I’m still waiting for that wonderful growth spurt that comes with spring……!
Hi Sarah. I have memories of the hardening off process last year where my plants were so huge and kept blowing over. It is hard to imagine this years plants will get that big, but my timings are the same and the greenhouse is warm so I’m sure they will grow. Take lots of photos so you can be sure things are actually growing. Cheers Sarah : o )
The weather is always nasty when our plum tree flowers, sorry about that 🙂
OK Gwenda. Apology accepted. Although I should really take a bit of responsibility for some of it as I watered the garden a few days ago when it was a bit sunny. I should have known it would lead to no good! Cheers Sarah : o )
I am really not ready for winter. Had to wear my winter jacket this morning to walk the dogs. Sigh.
Hi Virginia, The change of seasons is such an unsettled time. I would love to abandon my winter jackets sometime soon, but it is not looking good. Cheers Sarah : o )
You have more rain? I think you might need to migrate to Tassie. We had rain all day yesterday and we probably won’t have it again for a while. We just start to think “hmm…might have to start watering…” and we get a bit of rain. Apparently it hailed on the mainland yesterday but no hail here, just rain. Mud is the new black Ms Sarah 😉
Hi Fran, the last wee while has been a shocker. They (the boffins) reckon another storm will blow through soon but the last one still hasn’t finished. They say it is typical spring weather, but I don’t remember any spring being so volatile before! Mud is definitely the new black! Cheers Sarah : o )
I do hope the long term forecast for you is wrong! So frustrating when you can’t get on with what you want to do 🙁
HI Helen. Thank you for your kind words. Today the sun is shining but it is still quite windy. But so long as it isn’t raining I think I can get out there and do some spring preparations. Cheers Sarah : o )
That sounds hopeful! Have a good day – it’s still yesterday for me so I’m just off to bed lol.
We are in the Waikato too and the weather has been outrageous!! Gales, hail, rain and sun…gotta love spring! We had a couple of sleepless nights hoping that our polytunnel wasn’t going to blow away! Looking forward to following your blog and hopefully picking up some gardening tips as I’m a bit of a newbie! Laura
Hi Laura. Thanks for visiting my garden. Hopefully the weather has made a turn for the best as we have had some lovely days. But I still don’t trust the spring – not yet. It can be a bit of a tease. I hope your poly tunnel stays intact and helps you to have a fabulous harvest this season.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Your little pea plants are beautiful! I may have to follow your lead and start mine in pots too this year- I had so much trouble with them too! I think my trouble was with the squirrels. Hope you get sunshine soon!
Hi Sarah. Gosh it is one thing to contend with normal gardening things like the weather and slugs and snails, but squirrels too… I am please we don’t have those to worry about! The sun is now shining brightly.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Sarah, that is so disheartening. Our summer won’t let go either. Fall stubbornly refuses to fall. I’m glad you have your green house for some small comfort, but I know it’s not quite the same. I hope we can have a role-reversal soon: I’ll take the rain and send you this impossible heat.
HI Alys. The weather has much improved finally. But now I have to remember to water the garden. I need to fall into the old summer pattern of moving the hose regularly.
I hope it cools down for you soon.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Can you set a timer on your mobile phone to remind you at intervals?
We’re expecting rain tomorrow (picture me jumping up and down with glee in our rain-parched state) but it will still be hot (82F). Weird, isn’t it?