There is nothing predictable about a VT spring! With anxious anticipation on the dawn of a sunny day, when opening the door to let Tiger out any hopes of sitting on the front terrace with coffee would be squashed by the consistent 40 +/- degree temperatures. Until today!
As I write this, it is almost 70° and it is May 13. It’s the first day that I’ve been in the garden with my Birkenstocks on and the sleeves rolled up on my shirt. Did I say that it’s May 13? I may have missed a day here and there because of work but honestly it has not been warm, really gardening warm, until today.
Since our season in Vermont tends to be so short, it's important to appreciate and take advantage of every minute possible to plant and grow! The plants seem to be faring well despite the temperatures. The Jacob's ladder is in full bloom as are the forget-me-nots, tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs. Apple blossoms haven’t bloomed quite yet, but the trees are full of buds and the Asian pears and the Forsythia are quite showy this year!
After our annual early May trip to Walker Farm I’m itching to plant my annuals, but still a bit hesitant to do so because the nights are still cool. The cold will stunt the growth of the plants, making the early planting a detriment rather than an advantage. Walker’s and several other local garden centers like My Sister’s Garden, Glebe Mountain Gardens and Allen Brothers, are in full bloom! The selections of interesting plants they curate grow expansively every year! I like to choose a color scheme each season based on a new cultivar I haven’t seen and make my annual planters full of plants that will work with it. If I don’t make myself focus I find myself purchasing at random and often, far too many plants! I am afraid it's an obsession, and I know there are some of you reading this who know just what I mean!
They say that the hummingbirds come when the apple blossoms are out and a hummingbird just buzzed by my head. I’m also looking at a pair of goldfinch that are foraging in the garden. Such a bright yellow! I can’t help but wonder, with the world being shut down by the Covid-19 Pandemic, with less people moving around, flying, driving, have emissions reduced greatly enough to make a positive impact on our garden blooms and weather? It seems the air is fresher and cleaner. There are more birds around and the flowers are more prolific. I would like to think this magic is true, that the world is thriving from our sacrifices during the pandemic.
