Monday, May 13, 2013

We Interrupt Spring to Bring You Winter

Winter is supposed to be done, here in upstate New York.  It's May.  April showers, May flowers, that's the contract we have with Mother Nature, right?

But, today we had snow showers, biting winds, and something called graupel.  And tonight, even as you can hear neighbors mowing their lawns, we have freeze warnings.
This is what one of my "homemade" hanging baskets looked like, earlier this weekend.  In the background, behind a ramp, is a lilac bush.  The lilacs are in full bloom, and you'll see pictures of them on Wednesday for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day..  My irises have buds.  Main season azaleas are showing color in nearby yards.


I have a Mother's Day tradition of going to nurseries, picking out plants, and planting hanging baskets.  Tonight, instead of hanging in the spring breezes, the baskets I made yesterday are on my living room table, along with our tomato plants. Other plants are on chairs nearby.  There is barely enough room left for my spouse and I to eat.

Neighbors are covering up flower beds but we've decided our pansies and sweet alyssum are safe.  We don't put any tender plants out this early in May - there is always a risk.

It is 45 (7 Celsius) right now as darkness settles over Johnson City, New York.  It could drop as low as 25 (-4 Celsius) tonight.

Spring, please come back!

10 comments:

  1. Your flowers are beautiful. Hopefully spring will eventually come and stay.

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    1. Thank you for the compliment. We have a warm front on the way; we should have seasonable weather again starting tomorrow. Let's hope, because we tied our record low this morning. Another degree lower may have spelled disaster for our area's apple crop.

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  2. It has been an unusually mild winter here in Northern California unlike what you are experiencing in upstate NY. How beautiful your flowers are and your mothers day tradition. It sounds like this year the "inside" of your home was blessed with garden love, beauty and the promising scent of May time spring.
    Lovely are the unexpected, yet simple pleasures!

    Blessings,
    Gena

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    Replies
    1. Thank you - the simple pleasures are indeed the best pleasures.

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  3. Sounds like you need me to send you some Florida sunshine! Love the flower baskets with all the spring colors:) Try and keep warm!

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    1. Thank you for sending some Florida weather our way. I heard some of Florida had unseasonably cold weather today - but we have a warm front on the way and should be back to spring tomorrow.

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  4. I wish you sunshine back again...

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    1. Thank you, and I'll bet you had something to do with the promised return tomorrow of our spring. I took a chance and returned my hanging baskets to the outdoors.

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  5. I do believe this has been the longest winter ever. As far as planting goes, here in the northeast, Mother’s day seems to be a popular day to visit the garden centers and begin to plant annuals.
    I have always followed the “don’t plant until after Memorial day" rule though.
    Your baskets are beautiful. You have given me some good ideas.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I like looking at how hanging baskets are put together at local nurseries (ones that grow their own plants, that is). And, I've had good luck with some of the newer petunia/supertunia/million bells hybrids.

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