Wishing for Spring

I look forward to spring every year, but this week we seem to be getting summer. When I was working in the garden the other day my neighbor was convinced that my garden loved this weather. I do love being out in it, but it isn't good for the garden. Last night the low was 63F. The normal high is only about 50F at this time of the year. The high was over 30 degrees above normal.

This afternoon I noticed that my New Red Haven peach tree was starting to bloom. The Reliance isn't far off. It is MARCH for goodness sake. I know we have been in the upper 70s and low 80s all week long, but on Monday the forecast is for more normal weather. The weathermen are thinking hard freeze. That would kill all the peach blossoms. For my dwarf trees this isn't a big deal. They were planted last year. I'd be lucky to be getting a peach or two even with perfect weather. What I'm really worried about is our apple crop. If these wild swings keep happening the farmers around here won't get crops. And apple farms are plentiful in Massachusetts.

For me I'm more worried about my overwintered spinach. The weather could well make it bolt before I get good harvests. The leaf miners are bound to show up in April instead of May and destroy the crop anyway. I really count on this crop for my winter veggies. I usually have spinach once or twice a week during the winter and this is the season it grows enough to freeze. My kale is already starting to bolt and it isn't even April yet. Even the cabbage butterflies are out.

All is not bad though. The spring spinach is up and growing a month before last year. The peas are up about three and a half weeks early. I've got my fingers crossed though that our temperature swings will be mild from now on and we have more spring like than summer like weather.

In other news I did get my radishes planted yesterday. I decided the upstairs didn't need to be cleaned this week anyway. No one is going to be in the bedrooms except to throw down their coats. I went shopping for the party today in two trips. I so wish our birthdays were at a better time of the year. I had to buy all these veggies for my vegetable platter. I could have grown them. The only home grown veggie will be the carrots. Though the salsas will be from the garden too - both green and red. Happy birthday Joel!