Growing up in the Midwest, I marked the beginning of spring by picking the best (and only) spring flowers from the yard to fill a May Basket. Grape hyacinths, violas and dandelions…maybe a daffodil or tulip if it was a warm spring!
California’s mild winters have spoiled me. Gardens stay green all year, and there are very few moments without something blooming-even in winter. But, there’s an unwritten rule in the foothills. No matter how tempting the California winter sunshine may be, you’re pushing your luck if you try to put your vegetable garden in before Mothers’ Day.
Yes, I’ve tried it, and even got away with it a couple of times, but generally all the early season work is walloped by the testy spring weather. Late frosts that nip blossoms on fruit trees, torrents of hail knocking fragile plant shoots down and shooting holes through the tender new leaves of tomato starts.
This year, as was predicted by a wise old farmer or two .. the weather is mixing it all up and giving us a day or two of winter each week, just to keep things interesting. But, the magic Mothers’ Day weekend is coming right up. We’ll see how it stands up to the Almanac this year.
Waiting until May isn’t always easy for me. Usually I’m all kinds of anxious about my veggie plans by this time. This year, I’m taking it in stride. I’m sure that the wintery weather and my turn at having the flu have made it easier for me to keep my mind out of the garden. But, now I’m feeling it .. the little panic that reminds me that our growing season here is not really all that long …. especially in my shady yard ! It’s time !
I’ll be starting this weekend – there are plenty of plant sales to feed my spring fever. This year it will be so easy to find plant starts that have been raised locally. These local starts are better suited to our weather, and are grown by our own local farmers.
Saturday, May 1 – the Soil Sisters from Living Lands Agrarian Network will hold a plant sale in front of Broad Street Bistro in Nevada City. Basil, Chard, Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Onions, Shallots, Head Lettuce, Fennel – ready to go into the ground right now, and heirloom tomato plants waiting for the ground to warm up.
The Sierra Permaculture Guild will be swapping veggie starts at the May guild meeting, Saturday May 8 in North San Juan, while learning about using animals in the garden.
The 23rd annual Mothers’ Day Plant Sale at the Miners’ Foundry in downtown Nevada City will be from 9am to 3pm on Sunday May 9 .. a great selection of organic plants, natives and veggies all in one place.
And in between visits to all of these sales, you can pick up healthy homegrown herb and vegetable starts right at the front door at BriarPatch Co-op, grown locally by Naked Farms and by Fresh Starts Plant Farm. Don’t worry, if you miss all of these events, BriarPatch will still have a good supply, and Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply and Weiss Bros. Nursery in Grass Valley have veggie starts that are raised locally.
Now, I’m a serious do-it-yourselfer, but if this early season rush to dig into the soil is just a bit overwhelming for you and/or your schedule – you can find plenty of help from local gardening mentors and designers. A list of local gardeners with tons of combined experience is at your fingertips on the Local Food Coalition website resource page. Each gardener on the list brings their own expertise – some specialize in large scale designs, others in intimate and convenient kitchen gardens … maybe window boxes ?
So, no more excuses … spring is here, dig in !