Friday, February 18, 2011

First plantings

It's been a wretched winter throughout much of the US this year.  New England has been no exception.  It seems that every winter I get a bit of seasonal affective disorder.  This year was a bit worse.  With my driveway a lost cause and everything becoming an effort as a result of the snow, I got a bit down.  Hence, the lack of writing on the blog. 

The past few days we've had a warm up.  A sneak peak to Spring.  Yesterday reached 55 and today is supposed to get to 60.  It's wonderful.  The snow isn't melting fast enough, but it is melting.  There are peaks of mud under trees and bushes, while the vast majority of the ground remains covered.  Even so, the weather has improved my mood. 

In a fit of optimism and downright defiance, I planted my first seeds. 

There are Quadrato d'Asti Rosso peppers, Anaheims, Red Hot Cherry peppers, French Thyme and Large Leaf Basil along with some Black Beauty Eggplants.  They all take such a long time to sprout, I tend to plant these every year around Valentine's day.  If we have a typical summer, most won't fruit until the last part of August.  If we have a summer like last year, I'll have peppers in late June.  What a difference that heat makes. 

Now I need to go spend some time catching up on everybody's blogs.    The gardening season has begun!

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Feel exactly the same way here in New Jersey. Today is the day to watch the snow melt and get pumped up for spring. Happy to have found your blog!

Lorie said...

What a great way to get rid of the winter doldrums. I am awaiting my seeds to arrive in the mail, but I do hope to get some things started this weekend, as I have a lot of seeds from last year.

We too are having that warm spell, 70 today! Weird, as it will be cold again on Sat and Sun. But then again, it is still Feb!

Have a great weekend.

The Mom said...

ONG, welcome! This weather is wonderful, it's too bad it's still february.

Lorie, it is a nice way to get energized. We won't be quite 70, it's nearly noon and 56 right now. I'll take it anyway!

daisy g said...

Glad you are feeling better. Nothing like seeds to raise a gardener's spirits!

Robin said...

It has been a long hard winter for a lot of us. Today we had a tease from mother nature and the temps reached the 70's!!! It really made me feel good for the day.

Tending to your little seedlings will hopefully be helpful...just keep thinking Spring!!

Daphne Gould said...

I'm so happy for the melting snow too. Sadly they are predicting a couple inches at the beginning of next week. I guess it will make the black snow look pretty again.

The Mom said...

Daisy, it has been a wonderful boost.

Robin, seedlings are a wonderful way to get over the doldrums.

Daphne, I'm trying not to think about tomorrow night. At least it's only a few inches.

Karen Sue said...

I need to order my seeds next week, and then it's time to grow!! I love snow for a bit, and then I need green!

kitsapFG said...

I was wondering if you were feeling abit of the winter blahs since you had not been posting much lately. I hope you are able to get outside a lot while the weather is giving you a break and soak up some of those good sunrays.

The seedlings started is a great reminder that this winter will eventually pass away altogether and spring/summer will return (eventually!).

Karen Anne said...

The wind is howling like a banshee and it's about 30 degrees. I was peering at the rose bushes, hoping to spot a bud...

The Mom said...

Karen Sue, the seeds are so fun to order.

Laura, the cold weather has returned and we're due for more snow tonight. I did get lots of time outside with the warmth, though. I'm feeling much better now.

Karen Anne, the wind is crazy. I'm hoping that it's the March winds come early.

Leigh said...

Hurray for first seed plantings! I've planted (and already distroyed) cabbage seedlings. Can't wait to get a few more things planted. With temps climbing is so tempting tot think that winter is over and direct sow. I'm not going to take a chance on that, but seed pots, oh yes.