Good Thing Peas Are Tough

I think everyone will agree that the past 2 weeks have been tough, weather-wise.  I've read y'alls posts of more snow, rain, wind, tornado's, flooding...geez!  Enough already!  (March came out like a LION alright.)

For us in the Piedmont we've had plenty of bright, sunshiney days, just not in the past 2 weeks. 

Rainy, chilly overcast skies.  I feel like I'm back in Ohio! 

I've played a cat and mouse game with the garden lately.  If I know that we've got a frost coming then I go out and cover the garden up.  I use sheets to do this, old school I know...But I've got them, so I use them.

Except for the fact that when I think it's going to frost, it doesn't!  Then when the weather report looks good (ie: 41 for a low)...Nope, I get a frost.

This morning is a good example.  All 3 sites I checked last night said the lows would be 41.  At 5am when I got up, it's 37.  As I write this at 7am, it's 35 but the dew point is 31.

So I've got a light frost this morning. 

It's a very good thing peas are tough. 

The carrots on the other hand have been in the ground about 6 weeks now and as you can see, they like it a bit warmer than what we've been getting.  I'm just now seeing their first few "true" leafs come out.

The lettuce and spinach are just hanging out, no real growth spurt yet.

Over the winter, our two blueberries were nibbled back to the roots by our friendly neighborhood ("bastard"!) bunnies.  We need to get a fence up around them.

The apples are finishing up their blossoms.  I sprayed them with an organic fungicide about 12 days ago.  Too wet to bother lately...I'm hoping to get out today and give them a squirt. 

Our last frost date is April 15th.  Just a few more weeks to go!  I'm hoping to see more growth here over the next few weeks. 

I know I'm pushing my luck hoping for some "cool" weather crops here in the south. Since this is the second year I've tried for peas, (and I watch my production window starting to close again), I'm really starting to believe that having at least 1 (maybe 2) hoop-houses for next years "cool" crops would give me the season extension I might need.

We all have our challenges, though.  I just know that in about 6 weeks I'll be complaining about the heat..."My God, the Heat!"  (for you Seinfeld fans out there.)  Grin.

And all of YOU will be seeing your sprouts just starting to come up.  Can't wait to start watching and hearing all about your gardens!