Weather
Ever noticed how much people talk about the weather?
Weather is one thing we all have in common.
Gardeners are innately in tuned to rhythms of the seasons - and the complications of weather. This morning it was 3 degrees F (-16 degrees C), with Wind Chill Factor much, much lower. We still have some snow cover, but the wind is evaporating it and the sun is brilliant. I love wintertime!
Here in Kentucky we have the problem of fluctuating temperatures. Earlier, unseasonably warm weather caused some plants to bloom about town. I saw ornamental fruit trees that normally bloom in the spring, blossoming in November and December! It will be interesting to see what they do come spring. I am afraid those individuals will not be able to make much of a show. Some years are like that.
Here in the garden only a few crocuses and snow drops, plus Forsythia and ornamental quince shrubs were affected. Narcissus had emerged several inches, but did not bloom. That foliage will turn to mush and later to dry brown tops, but we can pull that off and the rest will be all right when it grows more. I am sure it weakens the plant and diminishes next year’s blooms. But for this year, the bloom will come on when it is time, for if there is to be a bloom from that plant, it is already there, down in the bulb, snuggled down in the frozen earth. (See our current weather, temperature, date, and time in the side bar at the right.)
It is interesting how some plants’ cell walls can take colder temperatures than the cell walls of other plants. The cell walls of Eranthis, Hellebores, and Snow Drops must be very tough; they bloom for us in February, normally, and sometimes the Eranthis’ little faces are covered by snow. But, this year the Eranthis bloomed in January and are currently, yes, covered by snow. More tender plants have cell walls that would burst at those temperatures.
That is what happens to the Narcissus foliage when it awakens too soon. I have the urge and want to poke and push it back down into the ground, but I am helpless, so they burst; the foliage goes mushy then dries out and turns brown and desiccated. Sometimes we have to remove that dried-up part so the bloom doesn’t become caught and trapped in it. There is no way for me to put covers on all the plants for protection in so large a garden. All we can do is stand back and watch… and grieve.
Not only do some plants pop up too soon, but also frost tends to push and heave perennials out of the ground exposing their roots and crowns to drying sun and wind if they aren’t noticed and given a good cover of mulch. With so much freezing, heaving, thawing, and then freezing again it can be heartbreaking.
We are in the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) frost zone 6, but the Bluegrass area of Kentucky is not a solid, dependable 6… sometimes it is a 5 and some years a 7, and some years it is 5,6, and 7 all in the same year making it a cruel place for gardeners. If that weren’t bad enough, summertime in Kentucky can make a gardener become ill and almost perish from the heat and humidity.
Christopher Lloyd, that esteemed English gardener, on his observations during his visit to North America, said the limiting factor to American gardeners is not the lack of plants for there are thousands that can grow here; rather, he said, the limiting factor is on the GARDENERS themselves and that limiting factor is… the climate.
How correct he was! Kentucky’s wide temperature swings are extremely defeating, not only on the plants, but also on the gardener him (or her) self. Since 1989 I have seen temperatures of –21F (-29C) and 103F (39C). The highest on record here is 103F. Thankfully, those were brief, but the temps hovered near to those numbers for days. Which is worse – the cold or the heat? They are equally treacherous for man and beast… and plants!
Our first winter here (1989-90) it dropped to -19F (-28C) killing 50% of our azaleas. A few years later it went down to –21F (-28C) one night and that took out some more. The few we have left must be very, very tough. I hope to replace the ones we lost with hardier types and some that will bloom later in the spring.
We have had years that were extremely wet, and then there have been a few years between 1989 and 2006 when we had drought status and water conservation rules were issued. I noticed there were no April showers; it made me nervous, something was not right - not normal. I immediately remember three summers, because we lost mature trees in toto and portions of many. They were so sad looking. One we lost entirely was the largest, beautiful, white-blossoming crabapple tree.
I read one person’s theory about what we can expect as we experience global warming. Part of it was: we can expect more precipitation; because warm air holds more moisture there will be more rain and snow. Yet, it seems conditions are getting drier with less water available. When it does finally rain or snow there is too much. Nature dumps its overload with devastating results.
If we could have dependable snow cover, it would not be so bad; snow cover is a wonderful thing for gardens, and gardeners fret if it isn’t to be had. Even Tasha Tudor worries and frets if there is not enough snow cover on her wonderful, wonderful garden in Southeast Vermont. For once a plant is covered by snow, it is insulated and protected somewhat if the ambient temperature plunges. I don’t know a lot about Vermont, but I thought it would have plenty of snow cover.
Here in my garden, snow is a sometime thing. Snow comes seldom enough in this area that everyone gets happy and excited - kids are deliriously happy. Frequently, schools close, and the snow is around for only a few days; just long enough to make snowmen, have a few snowball fights, and do some sledding.
At the first prediction everyone rushes to the grocery stores for bread and milk; it is amusing to see; and it is always: bread and milk. The shelves will be wiped out, totally empty, but only the bread and milk shelves. And the weather is the topic on everyone’s tongue. Then the snow is gone again. Some winters, it does not come at all, but that does not keep us from talking about the weather, whatever it is.
“Shed no tear! O, shed no tear!
The flower will bloom another year.
Weep no more! Weep no more!
Young buds sleep in the roots’ white core.”
(John Keats)
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