I'm sorry to say we've seen snowflakes the past few days. Not many, but any is too many for May. Last night we had a freeze warning, and it got down to at least 30. I was worried about things that were already blooming, like lilacs. Of course, it was easy enough to bring all my annuals in pots in, and I covered my row of vincas with success. They seemed so cozy under their little blanket tent.
This morning the peony stems looked wilted, but seem to have recovered. The irises are still bent over, so we'll see. Both have full buds getting ready to flower.
Mike was worried about his grapes. He took my advice and placed an electric space heater under them, and thinks he saved the flowers on one. He lost potatoes to the freeze, but the jury is out on whether they'll regrow or need to be replanted.
You definitely pay much closer attention to the weather when the well being of your garden depends upon it! I've learned that the 10 day forecast is just a suggestion, and that you really can't plan on the last frost in mid May in our area. Which means you can't reliably plant many things until June. June! That should be full on summer! I guess I'm still adjusting to gardening in zone 4b.
I have yet to buy a crabapple, and I'm mildly discouraged about choosing one, since apparently the crabapple we have decided to "take a year off" blooming. We do live on a nice road with lots of pretty crab apples, which have finished blooming, and now the gigantic lilac bushes everywhere are full of flowers. They really are gigantic. There is one nearby that is comparable in size to a house! Ours, which are in a woodland type area, have a lot of flowers this year, and we're planning to dig up some shoots to plant in other areas of the yard. Lilacs might make a nice hedge along the border of our yard. Oh, and the lilacs made it fine through the freeze!
Mike has started his farmers markets, and has done well both times. He had the opportunity to spend a day each week hunting for morels, oyster mushrooms, and leeks, which he sold along with some things he made/grew (jam, syrup, rhubarb, sunchokes) and plants, such as heirloom tomatoes he started from seed.
It's very encouraging to see people so excited about what he has to offer, and even to see repeat customers from last year. He may be starting small and just learning, but he really is gifted in this work. There's quite a bit more pressure this year with his several member CSA, friends who've already paid him for their food; food that is like a whole bunch of potential energy waiting to be released, once the weather finally decides to warm up and the plants can grow! I convinced him to close the membership this year after several people signed up, so that there would be less stress in filling the CSA boxes. Here's hoping for a productive year!
Lastly, a photo of our backyard, taken from behind and showing Mike's mulched bed of fruit trees, which he added after running out of places to plant them. I'm thinking soon our backyard will resemble an orchard!
