Tomorrow is the first day of meteorological spring. Yippee! or, bloody well about time. Looking outside it seems as though the snow will never melt, but it is because the rocks are slowly emerging and the mud season is certainly here. I don’t go outside without my barn boots on. it is getting yucky.
So what is happening here at the Rock you might be asking. Well, I have just finished a week long virtual flower growers school. I did learn lots so that is good, my head was normally spinning at the end of each session but that might have been two fold. All the new information and being on the computer but it was worth while and that is good. Tomorrow there is a zoom with a flower grower in New Zealand so not only will I be able to glean things but I can armchair travel as well. Won’t that be exciting? I think so anyway.
Besides me being behind my laptop, I have been busy talking to my first batch of flower seedlings. I gathered a bunch of rain water yesterday for future waterings because I think my tap water might be just a bit rough. I seem to be getting a salt buildup on the soil blocks so I will see if the rain water makes a difference. The first batch of seedlings are really getting big and strong so they will be planted out on Wednesday after Tuesday’s deep freeze so what happened to the ranuncs won’t happen to them.
The second batch of seedlings that were started 1 1/2 weeks later will be planted into the high tunnel. Unless, and this is a big unless, all the snow melts and I can find a garden bed to plant them into.
The ranunculas and anemones that were planted out last week with such hope are not looking their best. Oh this is so sad. That wicked cold night that got down to 12 degrees wasn’t good. They were just too soft, or rather hadn’t been hardened off sufficiently. The anemones are holding their own at the moment, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for the ranuncs. The trials of flower farming, and no matter how much experience you might have, Mother Nature will always have the upper hand. I can only work with her and mitigate what I can. All ten fingers are crossed that they will come through.
I leave you with an image from May 27th last year. This is what I am hoping and keeping my fingers crossed for.
Until next week. Allie
You do know she was at this flower gardening gig from an early age, don’t you? Steve
