Is it safe to assume that spring is officially here?
It sure feels like it … and looks like it too. There are so many tulips, lilacs and trees in bloom right now, Columbus looks beautiful. And it’s nice to smell fresh cut grass again.
Not being familiar with a real winter, I wasn’t sure what to expect this past year. I’ve heard it was a long one this time, and I’ve found comfort in the frustration of native Nebraskans over the extended winter season.
It’s nice to know that people who are used to that sort of thing felt the same way I did.
The garden centers are buzzing with activity now. I remember wanting to buy plants back in February and waiting impatiently for the annuals to arrive. I was spoiled in Arizona with the mild winters -- that’s when everyone planted.
There you would take the summers off from working in the garden, plants would die down, and you’d start thinking about what you would plant in the fall when temperatures dropped again.
Since there are four real seasons here, I’m at a loss as to what, where and when to plant things. I’m learning about gardening all over again.
Shortly after moving here last June I bought several lilacs, hydrangeas, lily of the valley and peonies (favorites I couldn’t grow in Phoenix). I tried every year to convince them they would like it in Phoenix … and every year I would watch them shrivel into crispy versions of their former selves.
Friends of mine have already harvested their first crop of tomatoes -– the next crop will be “sun dried” on the vine! They were expecting a temperature of 108 degrees over the past weekend -– yikes! (But, it is a dry heat).
As gardening is one of my favorite hobbies, I’m expecting a great season of planting; enjoying familiar favorites and discovering new ones.
Have any tips or hints for me?
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