What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

8* this morning. Old record 14. Going to sow some clover, Timothy and birds trefoil seeds later. Maybe mustard and collard greens. On top of the snow. I have seen Robbins,redwing blackbirds and turkey vultures. Migrators are returning.

 

[WthrLady]

my vultures are running late. Usually here by the 13th, this is the latest I've gone without seeing them. OC the eagles were here 3 weeks early, so who knows WHAT's going on?!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Early Spring in North Florida can be as trying as anywhere else in the country. Will it be hot? Will it be cold? YES to both and probably within a few days of each other!

Plant Math is also as much of a thing as Chicken Math. We're coming out of our hardest winter since 2010 so the biological back pressure has been building up something fierce. This last month or so every time I get near some place selling plants I have to remind myself that summer is coming so do not let spring weather beguile me into foolishness. Sometimes that even works!

Last weekend was a bit of a blow-out. There is a plant nursery about three hours away from me that has the last two citrus varieties I am looking for, but the six hour round trip puts me off. I decided to check a nursery I've had luck with in the past that's only forty-five minutes away. Got over there and they had next to nothing. OK, that happens but on my way out they had a tray of Datil pepper starts so I grabbed a couple as I lost mine when one of our hard freezes turned out to be even harder than had been forecast. As I was paying for them I mentioned their paltry selection of citrus trees and the fellow said they had a shipment of 300 trees coming the next day! Well, there was never really any doubt as to whether I was going to make that drive again!

As I was pondering on this I decided to bring the wife with me to act as a restraint on my enthusiasm. Ha! We came back the next morning and the place was packed. We took the last parking space. And lo and behold they actually had a Yuzu lemon, they're kind of obscure as citrus goes, one of the two varieties I have been looking for. I felt good that I found something I wanted to make the trip worthwhile then my wife asked "what's a Finger Lime?" As a class the Australian citrus never did it for me, but I explained what they were. She thought about it then said "Let's get one." Well... OK! We hauled them up to the register and there on the counter was a tray full of young bay trees (Lauris nobilis). I grabbed a couple of those as I'm expanding the herb garden anyway. We paid up and started to leave. I was feeling pretty good about getting out of there having bought no more than we did.

Then as we were going down their driveway the woman casually mentions "There's a plant sale in Ocala at the Livestock Pavillion today." I knew it was a test and I... failed. I turned the truck south instead of north and away we went. Once there I saw it was the Master Gardener's Spring Plant Sale. Seeing the size of the operation I started mentally chanting "The rainy season is coming. The rainy season is coming." That helped... a little. She got tired so went to sit in the shade leaving me to my own devices. I think I showed remarkable restraint. I only bought a cardamom and Grains of Paradise plant.

OK, ok, and two citron trees! But those aren't for me! I have an old friend who is Jewish that has wanted an Etrog citron for the Sukhot ritual so I've been helping him look. We've been doing this for a year in-person and online without being able to find one. This being citrus the rules in Florida are strict so if it doesn't come from within the state one cannot get it. Then dang if I didn't walk up on a vendor with two of them! I phoned him and of course he said "buy them both!" I did and they went home with us. They're both for him so they aren't going into my collection. Once we came home I repotted all the trees and was good to go.

Now, going all the way back to the weather I mentioned in my first paragraph. We have already seen 90 degrees here this season. All of my citrus trees are full of blossoms and new growth. Everything that took cold damage in our ten hard freezes of January and February has started coming back and looking good. So of course the forecast for tonight is for frost! One more time I have to move all of those danged containers! For one night. By this coming Monday we're supposed to be back up to 85. The weather is perverse I tell you.