Cold Climate Gardening

Yes, folks, this is going to be a sad post. Better get out your Kleenex. *Sigh.* Particularly sad after last year’s broccoli, which was the most wonderful broccoli I’d ever had in my life, no kidding. That was amazing broccoli.

First we must set the stage. . .

After our terrible flooding (for most of which, I was out of state), and subsequent 80 degree weather (for most of which, I was out of state), we settled into one of the most glorious Springs I can remember. We typically do get Spring flooding, and we do typically have several days in April that are in the 80’s, or even break 90’s. But our typical Spring is cold and/or muddy–hence, Mud Season. Then there is one week of Spring, in which all of the trees leaf out, flowers bloom, etc. Sometimes Spring is followed by (or cut short by) a hard freeze, leading to no apple crops, and no lilac blooms. This one week of Spring is followed by Summer. Don’t blink, or you miss Spring.

But this year. . .! The daffodils are just finishing up, and the apple trees haven’t even opened yet! We actually have a Spring this year, with temperatures usually only in the upper 60’s, with that lovely Spring breeze, and plants are taking their turns.

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I read the bookish gardeners article about seed starting with chagrin. My own seed starting practices have deteriorated over the years. Every seed gets sown in the same conditions, at the same time, somewhere around 6-8 weeks (if I’m running late, I change my last frost date so I am not behind). Apparently, conditions were a little cool, because the peppers and eggplant seeds were not budging. I tried sticking them in the oven, but was too scared that someone try to bake a pizza without checking first. Then, I tried sticking them on the dryer and running it empty for an hour at a time. This, of course, was done when my husband …

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March blew through with the mood swings of a diva… freeze! thaw! snow! thunderstorms!… “tempera-mental,” indeed. But the weather always turns the corner in April. The garden shows only the earliest signs of green, but spring finally seems plausible, and I’m even emboldened to regard the coming of tulips with the same certainty as taxes.

Chan Stroman’s second column for Saucy perfectly captures what seed starting is all about–not the “howto” of it (though the process is outlined) but the “heart” of it. If you’re a plant lover who’s started his or her own plants from seeds, you will find yourself nodding in agreement.

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All of my seeds are here, so now Spring can come. In fact, I’m beginning to get impatient now. . .

Fedco had to substitute my Amish pepper for a similar variety. . .I guess a lot of people liked their discription! The things they had to substitute were cheaper, so they also sent two dimes in with the order. I can’t say I ever had great plans for those two dimes, but I won’t complain about getting them back!

My first batch of leeks (Sherwood, which won’t overwinter) is about 3 inches tall. This weekend I start my next batch of leeks. I think they’re called “Imperial”; I’ve never tried them before. I just got them in my Fedco order, otherwise …

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Many people try to start some seeds and grow them on in a window sill. Unless you happen to have a really deep window sill in a south facing window, growing seedlings in this manner rarely proves satisfactory. The seedlings don’t get enough light and grow pale and leggy. You can grow far more seedlings of much better quality if you grow them under lights. And you don’t need one of those fancy get-ups that you see in the seed catalogs. It’s possible to make one yourself with average woodworking skills for quite a bit less money. This seed starting light stand is one of the best designs I’ve seen for making your own stand with ordinary fluorescent shop lights. My brother made it for his wife, modifying it so that it held two fixtures on each level.

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Only I’m still trying to figure out whether I feel like I’ve betrayed Johnny’s or that Johnny’s has betrayed me. One way or the other, one of us has been betrayed.

I’m ordering most of my seeds from a different company this year!!!

Aren’t you shocked? I’m shocked. I always order from Johnny’s. Teman has always ordered from Johnny’s. Everybody orders from Johnny’s. Johnny’s is where you order your seeds from. It just is.

(For those of you who want the short story, I’m doing a lot of ordering from Fedco. But that’s no way to tell a story!!)

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Okay, so I peeked. I opened up a catalog. Then another, and another, and another. It became obvious that I was spending too much time looking at catalogs, so I began hiding them in the bathroom and feigning stomach viruses. I began to feel dirty and shameful, but I couldn’t stop.

Then, the list making started. First, the desired flower and vegetable seeds. No, no, too much. Only the necessary seeds, must really needthe seeds, not just want. Hmm… , okay, let’s sort by catalog, and figure out who has the best deal on Scabious Black Knight. It’s cheaper at Johnny’s, but Select Seeds gives you so many more seeds for not …

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