February is the time of year when gardeners everywhere are scouring seed catalogs and getting ready to start the process of planting those individual seeds into cells tucked under lights and kept warm and watered until they are ready for the garden.
This winter and it’s 76.9″ of snow so far on the ground has kicked my butt. Yesterday, we cleared 7″ and were extremely grateful that we didn’t get the forecasted 12-18″. Seven inches means one clean up and two hours outside in the cold while 12-18″ means two or three.
My reality is that I’m helping clear snow every two days or so and coping with cold temperatures like right now of -4 degrees with a wind chill of -14. And, we won’t even talk about when all that snow comes off the barn roof and has to be moved. 🙂
Although my spirit is willing, I just can’t bring myself to think about dragging all the equipment out to start seedlings in an area where I can’t get the temperature above the mid 50’s.
So, I’m going to break tradition and buy the plants I want this year. And, I’m okay with that.
There is a local farm, Stout Oak Farm, Brentwood, NH, that specializes in organic plants. They offer 33 tomato varieties, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, squash, greens, onions, leaks, herbs, and flowers all grown in their heated greenhouses. ‘Heated’ is the operative word here. Last year, I purchased a couple of tomato and pepper plants that were big, lush, and produced all season.
So today, I’m going to dream about gardening, complete my order form, and look forward to picking up my plants once the snow melts and the soil warms up. I’m not sure when snow piles reaching to rooftops will melt, but I’m sure looking forward to it. 🙂
I’ll probably start my seeds in a few weeks. We have’t had nearly as much snow as you guys this year, but most of January and February have been bitter cold.
There’s going to be a lot of folks very happy to see this winter come to an end.
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Amen to the end of this winter. 🙂
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AOL news called your weather “biblical” and our local news showed a strip mall in NH with a caved in roof. On CNN they said your winds were “hurricane strength.” You’re definitely not making this stuff up! It must feel like living in a hamster cage with those narrow paths carved into the yard to reach (what looks like) a storage shed.
At least you have your gardening dreams to keep you happy until the final inches melt!
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Every where you go here or in any neighboring town, you are walking down these tunnels to get where you want to go. If you need to veer off the shoveled path, the only way is to wear snowshoes. Biblical – okay, I’m buying that.
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Thinking of you, Judy, during this relentless winter! Stay warm and safe. Spring is coming. Keep dreaming those warm, sunny garden dreams! ♡
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Hang in there! Saturday I watched PBS, HGTV etc only garden shows. I called it my “Fifty Shades of Green” fantasy day. I’ve definitely gotten cabin fever.
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Oh my gosh, thank you for that chuckle – Fifty Shades of Green. I LOVE it.
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I cheated and bought plants last year. . Soooo much easier. This year, I think I might bail on the veggies as I want to put in my front flowers and the care will take my time away.
With all the snow you all got, there shouldn’t be any water restrictions this year! 😉
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I think helping out the local economy is a proud thing to do this year! I’m sure all that snow has hurt businesses as well. Bravo for you!
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Judy, I feel guilty reading your post. We are having an early spring here in California with 70 plus degree temps. But I wish we were getting some of the snow you are getting. I may have to cut down on my garden again this year due to the drought. Stay warm!
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Oh, Cheryl, what I wouldn’t give for a 70 degree day. LOL And, I wish I could share some of our moisture with your state. We had rain all fall well into December which was very unusual and now we have all this snow that will melt. Doesn’t seem fair.
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Sympathies on all that snow that your area has received. Very cold here in Ontario with a lot of snow & freezing winds but nowhere near the amounts in your setting. Take care. Beautiful photos! 🙂
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Glad you’re not getting quite as much snow as we are this year. It really is amazing how the weather bands move around resulting in such different results. 🙂
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I’m with you, Judy…enough already!
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I’ve been wondering how you’re faring. The scenes look quite beautiful but must be a nightmare to live in. Here’s to a graceful end to your snow worries.
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Did you get any bad weather in this last storm?
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Yes, we had sleet and snow–just enough to make it dangerous and icy. A big worry this week is the forecast for near 0 degrees. After what you’re putting up with it doesn’t seem too bad though.
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OMG! Snow is kind of magic, I know, but i hate snow! Your place is a living nightmare to me! I am so with you, believe me, you have all my compassion.
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LOL My place is a living nightmare to me right now too. As I look all around at white and more white, I’m dreaming green and color and sun and sitting outside having a cold one at the lake. 🙂
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Normally, I love snow but I’m with ya on this one!!! Two back to back tough winters. *sigh*
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You are so right – two wicked winters in a row. Hope Mother Nature sees fit to give us some melt sometime soon. 🙂
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I am sure there is a yard under there somewhere! I hope it warms up soon but not so fast that you end up flooded!
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Snow, snow go away come back NEXT YEAR!! Starting from plants IS OKAY!! They will be fabulous!!
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We had our first snow yesterday. I almost believed we would miss it this year. But alas not so. My youngest daughter put it best, “I like snow the first hour so I can photograph it. Then I’m done” she’s her mother’s daughter.
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Thank your daughter for the chuckle. I’m with her for sure. 🙂
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I think you are fully justified in going the plants route this year. And I sympathize with your weariness at dealing with all that snow. We are having very cold weather that’s supposed to last to the end of the month, but not an unusual amount of snow.
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Thanks for the tip on Stout Oak Farm. I think I’ll follow your lead and purchase seedlings, too.
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Great. I learned about it last year from a fellow Master Gardener. If you want their email and order form, just send me an email (contact page) and I’ll forward it to you. 🙂
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I haven’t acheived much success with seeds. Disappoint like that I can avoid with buying plants. And here, it’s especially appreciated with our short growing season. Don’t get me wrong though, seeds are a huge turn on for most people in Finland, they have cold frames and green houses too. I’m just not that kind of gardener I guess.
As for snow fall and melt time… it’s usually quite typical to still have snow laying around into April!
The Finnish Meterological Institute is excellent and offers information in English:
http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/snow-statistics
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I have had fun growing seeds many years but timing is also a critical piece. I’ve had seasons where I had tomatoes ready to go into the ground (hitting the lights) and there was no way the ground was warm enough. So, I will gladly drive up and pick up my plants this year. Interesting link – thank you.
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Good morning. We are in Illinois, not as much snow as you have.. that is awful! but we do have the cold and the seed books and my husband (off work due to the cold) is camping in his wee glasshouse sowing seeds, way too early but he cannot help himself! and at least it is warm in there, c
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Glad you don’t have this much snow. 🙂 And, I know the temptation to sow seeds. There is just something so satisfying to see that first little green color break the surface of the soil/seed mix and it’s wonderful to just get your hands dirty again. 🙂
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Wow! You have beautiful snow pictures here 🙂
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Judy, your post has made me realise how lucky we have been with winter this year. We have not had a single shower of snow that settled. This means that our perennials lok set for a quick take off. Hope everything catches up in your patch.
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