Right about now, you’re noticing that things are starting to warm up a bit outside after a very long-too long cold season. Yes, sadly New Englanders have had to wait well beyond the typical arrival date of spring due to a lingering winter, making us all wonder if we’ll be skipping the outdoor months altogether. Some may even be a tad bit pessimistic about how long they’ll be able to enjoy their favorite activities, particularly those who are green thumb enthusiasts. Since the northeastern state’s gardening season is fleeting already, I understand how important it is to get out there digging as soon as you can. To say that the fifty-degree temperatures we experienced in April, May and June provided a substantial setback is an understatement but believe me when I say there’s still hope.
By doing a little tweaking of your usual planting strategy, you can still harvest a gorgeous garden filled with beautiful flowers and delicious veggies. Species that have fast germination periods are wonderful choices to rely heavily upon instead of putting all your prayers into slow growing plants. For vegetables, try picking out seeds such as snap peas, lettuce and green beans- they’ll shoot right up after only a few days of temperate weather plus they usually prefer the cooler weather anyhow. If you’re a stickler about planting only seeds instead of purchasing ready 6-pack trays from greenhouses, you may want to rethink your philosophy this year. Even though it’s a lot more fun and cost effective to grow your own, plants like tomatoes and eggplant won't have any shot at all unless you started them indoors around the time of March.
Something else to think about since we are definitely seeing a pattern of later spring arrivals is the possibility of investing in raised beds. Plants growing in above ground containment will likely have a warmer soil temperature, which will boost their growth earlier than what is planted straight in the ground. If you’re worried about cost, you can build your own simply by using slats of wood that can be nailed together in either square or rectangular shapes. Perennials in particular adore this type of growing atmosphere and typically will come back closer to their regular schedule.