The weather is not cooperating with me. The vernal equinox has passed, the snowdrops have been up for weeks and the hellebores are blooming their heads off. Last year at this time, temperatures were in the sixties. That was unseasonable. This is unreasonable. It is almost April and the weather people are still using obscene words like “wintery mix.” It is enough to make me pack up the geranium collection and head for a warmer climate.
The poor snowdrops have been snowed on about four times since unfurling their petals. Likewise with the snow crocuses. Not to anthropomorphize, but the whole routine must be getting tiresome for them. As for the hellebores, I have shorn most of them of their disreputable old leaves, allowing the flowers and new, young leaves to shine. Now, I am sure they are cursing me and shivering in the cold. I can almost hear it when I go out to look at them.
Experts, almanacs and other sources of folk wisdom have long held that you should plant ornamental sweet peas and prune roses on St. Patrick’s Day. This year I pruned roses, but planted the sweet peas under a glass cloche indoors. It is not ideal, but the best I can do at the moment. With luck their little tendrils will be starting up the short supports under the cloche at about the time I can safely take them outdoors. Sweet peas are one of my horticultural bêtes noire, but I am determined to give them all the encouragement I can. One day they may actually reward me for my many services of love.
The good news about this cold weather is that the wildlife has been less active. My garbage cans have not been rolled by the raccoons since last October. The deer, for some reason, have been dining elsewhere. This is changing, though. Yesterday I walked out into the back garden and saw three impressive wild hen turkeys grazing in the lower garden. They were not intimidated by my presence and showed only mild interest when I turned on the car and backed up. The only food available for them was whatever seeds, acorns, etc. were on the ground; accompanied by a mixed salad composed of vast quantities of English ivy, hellebores and snowdrops. The hellebores are most likely either poisonous or disagreeable to the turkeys and they didn’t seem disposed to chow down on the snowdrops or ivy. They may have nibbled the top growth on some young Spanish bluebells, but I have millions of them and they will come up anyway. So far, I have been lucky. However, when I came back into the house I made a note to buy some animal repellant spray, just in case Spring actually springs sometime in the next few weeks.
For right now all gardeners in this area are stuck in the throes of anticipation and frustration. What can we do, other than clean and sharpen our tools–chores which are necessary, but frankly uninspiring?
We can buy pansies when we see them, even if we have to keep them indoors, in cold frames or other sheltered spots until the days warm up. Pansies are tough and will survive with a modicum of care. If you see decorative little pots of primroses, mini daffodils, hyacinths or crocuses, buy them, enjoy them inside and then use them to fill up holes in beds and borders in a few weeks time.
Figure out if there is anything that you can start inside—provided you have the room to do so. I have started a pot of begonias on the windowsill. With good care, they should be ready for hanging baskets by the beginning of summer and the investment will be smaller. If there is some flower that you can’t live with out and want to grow from seed, get those seed packets and plant the seeds in little pots. You don’t really need sophisticated equipment if the pots are bound for the outdoors within a few weeks.
If you are thinking of expanding your garden, mark out the new bed or bed extension, cover it with several layers of newspaper and a two-inch layer of compost or mulch. In three or four weeks when you are ready to plant, you can dig right through the newspaper/mulch mixture. The covering will start to break down the soil underneath fairly quickly while preventing the evil spring chickweed and other obnoxious green marauders from muscling in on your new garden turf.
It is very difficult when your green thumbs are twitching and the weather refuses to be spring-like. We can’t outwit or defeat Mother Nature, but we can certainly keep busy until she finally turns her attention to making things grow.