Planted the fall garlic yesterday.
A very cool followed by a cool, dry fall. Tomato and pepper production was off (peppers WAY off). On the other hand everything (tomatoes, herbs, cabbage) is still alive and coming in. Never did get beans in this year.
Writing this from memory in 2014…
I didn’t get time to devote time to the garden in 2013 like I usually do. Most things went in late and what did go in was mostly purchased late (mid-June) at a garden center. Between the late start, the aged seedlings, and the lack of regular attention, it was not an especially productive year. Herbs did well, tomatoes so-so, most other things poorly.
What WAS remarkable about the season was how long certain crops lasted. Tomatoes went well into late October with no sign of wilt and black spot that usually makes an appearance in late summer. The weather stayed temperate with no major storms…perhaps that was part of it. Discussions with friends up and down the Northeast revealed a similar experience.
Following a cool, but not unseasonably cool, March, April seems ready to enter her rainy period. The month so far has been windy, with a dearth of warm days and bright sunshine. The daffodils have been in bloom since early in the month. The forsythia is just starting. I’ve put nothing in the ground yet, although the broccoli and cabbage are about ready to go.
Dipping down into the thirties tonight, potentially the first frost of the season although more likely the temps will stay in the upper 30s. Still, it was enough to get me to bring in the potted rosemary, pick a bunch of basil, and harvest as many of the hot peppers as were usable in size. Tomorrow I’ll scour the garden to harvest any additional usable peppers and tomatoes.
I also need to put together a year end report for the Nahant garden. So I’ll do that as well.
Almost two and a half inches of rain in the first half of June, with daytime highs in the 60s and 70s..
I finally, finally found some time to work in my own vegetable and flower gardens. Still nothing in the ground but I did at least get the vegetable beds weeded and prepped and hope to get some of it in this weekend. The winter-over chard had grown to four feet high and gone to seed so I pulled it all out. Weeded the flower beds in the back of the house and cut the forsythia to the ground. I also planted lettuce seedlings in the wiskey barrel out front. And I got the grass mowed and the right side of the hedges trimmed. But so much more to do. The vegetables need to go in, of course. The bushes and hedges all need pruning. Day lilies and irises need separating. And the weeds have completely inundated the front and side garden. Will need to do some serious digging.
The second half of May was dry (only a half inch of rain) with average temps in the mid 60s..
I’ve finally got all my seedlings outside although nothing in the ground yet. I’ve been so busy with the POPYC garden, prepping the boat, filling jg.com orders, posting to blogs, Ben’s baseball, etc. that my own garden has gone completely unattended. The grass and weeds have taken over. The second half of June and July I’ll spend trying to reclaim the beds from the weeds.
A fairly wet first half of May, 5 inches of rain in the last 30 days. Temps have been cool, most days topping out in the upper 50s.
In the basement, seedlings everywhere. Outside, not some much: broccoli and cauliflower outside to harden off, some lettuce and greens in a planter, and that’s about it. Way behind this year…the seedlings simply did not come along at the rate I expected them too.
After a very dry first half of April, we finally got two days of heavy, soaking rain on the 21-22. Still not enough to flood the basement though. Since then temps have reverted to normal for this time of year with daytime highs in the 50s-60s.
Blooms as of 4/25:
Forsythia tapered off a week ago and is now done
Mountain Laurel done
Azaelia beginning
Small leaves on most trees by now
Dogwood in full bloom for a week now
Ornamental grasses showing new growth
Buds on clematis
The last week of March brought more traditional March weather with daytime highs around 50 and nights in the upper 30s. There have been no frosts for several weeks and very little precipitation.
Disappointed so far at the germination rate of the seeds I got from from Trade Winds Fruit. After eight days only one of the tomato varieties has germinated. The others I fear are in danger of rotting.
Visited Karen and Russ for Easter. Russ was OK with my suggestion of him offering a few plots for frequent guests to garden. But in discussion it certainly sounds like weed and pest incursion is a regular issue there. So what to grow in a plot you might visit only once a month? Certainly not things that require much tending. Root crops? Garlic? Russ said insect pests are a problem with potatoes. Rosemary? Pumpkins? Gourds?
I’d like to take weather notes throughout the season so I’ll make an entry every other say, say around the first and middle of each month. This entry will cover the winter and early spring.
2011-12 was a winter unlike any I can recall. It was exceptionally warm throughout with very few cold snaps. While there was sufficient precipitation there was almost no snow. I don’t believe I shoveled once or that the schools had a single snow day. The ground did not freeze.NOAA lists the total snowfall for the season at Logan as 8.7 inches.
The unusual weather has continued into March. Not much precipitation this month, usually the rainiest in Boston. The high temps have continued with ten days so far this month with highs above 60 with half of them getting into the 70s. The March wind has been mostly absent. The balance of March (today is the 24th) is forecast to be more in line with the average…a lot of partly cloudy days with highs in the upper 40s. There has only been an inch of rain so far this month, and that in the first three days.
The forsythia reached full bloom March 23.
My Swiss chard from last season actually wintered over and stayed green throughout the cold months. My parsley made it through too (although I plan to put in new plants anyway).