Not Yet - But Almost Time

With temperatures above freezing and significant melting going on outside, it does look like spring will come after all. Seems as I get older, I have more doubt each year as to whether spring is coming, or winter will last until June. I should have known, as the first sign of spring has already reached my mailbox, garden catalogues 2016.

I get physical copies of seed and garden catalogues and several ECataloges. I still like the old fashioned kind. Old fashioned to many, I still enjoy leafing through the pages, makes spring, at least, probable. Gardeners, old and new get excited as soon as the first few warm days come to Wyoming. I use a soil thermometer to guide my planting. If the soil is too cold, nothing will happen. Waiting is hard, it but beats replanting.

Dreaming of last summer

One thing I have to remind myself of each year is that everything does not grow well in Wyoming. Just because a big-box store garden center has it in stock, does not mean it will grow in Wyoming. Many people will try Blueberries only to find, they will not grow well, not well at all in Wyoming. Try them if you must, but prepare for disappointment. Or save yourself the time and frustration and plant, currants, gooseberries or raspberries, all will do wonderfully here.

Somewhere in each garden catalogue will be a plant hardiness zone map. Take a good look at it before ordering trees, shrubs and other perennials. The area where I garden (Platte County in Eastern Wyoming) is in zone five, if I plant close to a warm building, out of the wind, or in a nice sunny area, I can get away with some zone six plants. Most other plants, from zones above six, will grow for a season, but will need to be in pots and moved inside if you hope to keep them alive for a second season.

If you have the gardening itch bad, it’s not too far away from inside plant starting. I start my onions, yes I grow my onion plants, the first of February, and will begin planting tomatoes before the first of March.  

Tired of sitting around doing nothing? Too soon to garden, too cold for golf. Time to settle in with a good book. Coincidentally, here is a link to my five books. Thanks for looking. 

Next Post – Inside and planted.