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Spring’s Watershed

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My white crocus from 2010- no rainy pictures please

It is raining today as I write this. We have entered the time of spring rains, and after the inundations of last month added to the heavy snows, there are flood warnings as steams and rivers rise. Spring has definitely reached her watershed mark, and winter will reign no more. Even if spits and spurts of unsportsmanlike winter storms lash out. Winter is like that in Ohio.

There is no mistaking the change of the atmosphere, however, and spring is here.

I still have time to start some tomato plants, although my eye surgery proved more complicated than I anticipated. Not to worry though since the most important spring crop for me is the lettuces and spinach. Those will be direct seeded as soon as the ground cooperates. It is a spring like this, where the ground is wet and slow to warm, that proves the wisdom of having some raised beds in the vegetable garden. That is where my 2011 lettuce crop is going to be planted. Among the 2nd year strawberry plants, which I should check for heaving.

As I looked out the window this morning to check on the state of the weather for today, I could see the water droplets hang heavily on the twigs of my Jane magnolia. Like little crystal orbs they are attached along the underside of craggy brown branchlets, magnifying the world through their miniature lenses.

The past few days the ponding fields have had small lakes that shine in the moonlight  and ripple during the day. Ponding is common in this very flat terrain, but the streams were rushing in wild madness that spoke of the heavy influx of the past few rains and the melt. It can only become higher, wider, and more powerful in the predicted rains of the weekend.

Gardening chores will remain a thought and a dream while this weather prevails. There was no midwinter break dry enough to prepare fields or gardens this year, the gardener and nature are both filled with pent up anticipation of the new growing season.

Starting To Think Like Spring
Start Seeds
Propagation

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© 2010 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.

About Ilona Erwin

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

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Comments

  1. Hocking Hills Gardener says

    We are getting a mix of weather for certain Ilona.I enjoyed those warmer days. I can take the rain if it is warmer but that Saturday night snow is not what I wanted to see at all. I can see tips of green trying to come up in the flowerbeds and I am wanting to get in them so badly but like you may have to wait a while longer. Have a wonderful week.

  3. Ilona says

    I went outside and swa my little stand of snowdrops- they are so pretty. It took a long time to get the established here for some reason. Yes, I agree cold and wet are rather miserable company!

    Welcome, Chris – thank you. Last year I had a batch of nice photos- the light or something was better than usual. And the spring that year produced the best flowers!