Sunday, May 8, 2011

Winterkill

The harsh winter did my garden no favours. Half of my perennials won't be coming back, both floral and herbal. Even the mint died, and that stuff is more tenacious than many a weed. About 20% of my garlic was winter-killed, soft and rotting in the ground, and another 20% of the bulbs were thrown out of the soil by frost-heaves, despite my careful mulching in the fall.

Spring Garlic

Between that, the f^*%@ing miserable "spring" weather, my discovery of Bryson Farm's lovely organic, heritage veggies delivered right to my door, and the outdoor water ban imposed on my community until August (!)... my gardening craving is just simply non-existent. Two weeks until the last frost date, and I have no seeds started and no plans.

Spring Poppies
The few wild-sewn poppies in my front garden are about a week away from blooming... if you go back to last year, they were at this point in early April. The season is almost a full month off last year (which, admittedly, was early.)

I know that come summer and warm weather I may regret this decision but I can only think of three things I want to plant this year aside from my poor garlic: rosemary, more mint (may it rest in peace), and basil. Oh, and maybe cherry tomatoes. Hey, maybe some sugar-snap peas, too...

Kinda sounds like I do have plans for the garden after all, doesn't it?

2 comments:

Aline said...

then MINT died...!!! Jeebus, that's rough. I love those organic veggie delivery outfits, the coolest thing since blow dryers that! Are you allowed rain barrels? That is what I garden with because my only source of water is a surface well for household use and we live along the Outaouais river that means, concrete type (clay) soil. Zero drainage. Rain just rolls away and if we have a dry summer, I have to pay to fill my well with town water...so it's rain barrel all the way baby!! p.s. getting sooo excited for our get together!!! xx

XUP said...

This is the worst spring since I left Halifax -- where spring was like this every year...which was one of the reasons I left Halifax. Dang.