Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Gardeners Are Getting Cranky


So says Debra Middleton (Aunt Debbi's Garden) on my Facebook page this week, as I was bemoaning the lack of spring weather. I had plenty of supporters of my point of view, which when you think about it, isn't really true. Spring is notorious for being fickle. One day it's so warm you're throwing off your jacket and the next day it's so cold you don't even want to go outside, even with a winter coat.

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin'


Crocus chrysanthus 'Prins Claus'
But the gardeners ARE cranky. We see our beautiful early spring bulbs blooming and many of us have seen and heard the buzzing bees. The early migratory birds have been back for several weeks now and doggone it, we want warm weather! Instead of being grateful for these spring beauties, we grumble. It's no fun to clean up leaves and twigs and winter's messes with a drippy nose and numb fingers, let alone wake up to snow.

Each winter it seems like the season gets longer and longer and we get more impatient for spring. But the fact is, it will happen when it happens and there isn't a darn thing we can do about it. As my grandma told me yesterday, "God hasn't missed giving us a spring yet."

That doesn't stop us from being cranky about it though. You know...misery loves company and all that. We really are impatient for the sore muscles and exhaustion that spring tasks bring with it. We're a strange lot, we gardeners, aren't we?

Crocus chrysanthus 'Fuscotinctus'

Chionodoxa forbesii

10 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

As the ice balls are piling up on our new mulch I am in a whiney mood. I know that this too will pass. I think I see some hostas shivering though.

Kylee Baumle said...

Lisa ~ Ice balls?? I saw on the radar that we had snow south of us this morning. Well, remember, March came in like a pig. Anything goes, I guess!

sarah said...

I so appreciate this post! This is my spring break, and we have had pretty bad weather so far, and it's supposed to continue until Sunday. Oh, well. I will try to remember you grandmother's advise!

Darla said...

Sorry about your on going winter weather...hasn't been the case here in North Florida.....hang in there.

F Cameron said...

We had an early spring from mid-February until a few days ago with many days in the 70s and even 80s and no frost to speak of.

Now, it's just strange and weird from day-to-day. A hard freeze yesterday morning, thunderstorm/rain this morning. Chilly.

Dawn said...

We are all so ready for spring, including the critters. Robins are flitting around my yard, punching at hard ground for worms. First sighting of a brilliant yellow Goldfinch yesterday, clinging to the bird feeder digging for thistle seed. Still, the lounge cushions were covered with frost this morning.

I'm outside everyday anyway, preparing the beds. Heck, I've even been known to recline on the lounges mid-winter with woolly blankets and a heating pad. I'd sleep in my conservatory too, if I had one.

ValHalla said...

I was just whining about the same thing. It was a brutal winter.

Shaunna said...

So ready for spring - we still have at least 2 feet of snow in the deep parts of my yard - though in some sunny spots we can see grass. We've been out chipping the ice and breaking up the snow in hopes that it'll melt a bit faster. But it'll still be at least a month before plants are growing outside. (that's an average, we might get lucky and have it sooner)

Deb said...

I feel for you. Our weather is going haywire from the 80's back into the low 40's (frost potential) It's made me a little cranky myself :)

Mimis-Garden.com said...

Cranky is right... I lost a few early bloomers to some pretty nasty frost.

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