Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative. ~ Oscar Wilde
Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. ~ Kin Hubbard
The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it. ~ Patrick Young
Weather forecast for tonight: dark. ~ George Carlin
Weather means more when you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans. ~ Marcelene Cox
There are many ways to think about the weather. All kidding aside, weather is an important consideration in many jobs–construction crews, snow plowers, professional baseball players, farmers, pilots, dog trainers and gardeners.
And since we've had several weeks of confusing, goofy weather, let's review essential information for our area.
Spring frost-free dates. Plants that aren't hardy in our region or hardy plants that haven't been acclimated properly are vulnerable to cold temperatures, not to mention snow. According to the State Climatology Office of the Minnesota DNR, Pine County has four regions for spring frost-free dates.
• May 22 – May 28: narrow band that follows the curved southeast state boundary line. • May 29 – June 4: southern portion of a horizontal line dividing the county in half. • June 5 – June 11: northern portion of a horizontal line dividing the county in half. • June 12 – June 18: extreme northwest corner.
What about my plants? These plants are fine outside now: ~ cold-hardy annuals such as pansies and violas ~ cool season vegetables and herbs ~ bulbs whether in containers or in the ground ~ any plants in the garden from last year including perennials, vines, shrubs and trees ~ hardened-off perennials still in containers ~ perennial fruits and vegetables like rhubarb and asparagus
Wait to put out or plant these plants: ~ warm season vegetables, fruits and herbs ~ most annuals ~ tropical plants ~ greenhouse-grown plants
Forecast. According to several local meteorologists, warm Marches and Aprils are usually followed by cooler Mays and Junes. Rats. But at least we'll have something to talk about.
Finally… If, on a recent visit to a nursery, you couldn't resist the siren song of that lush hanging basket or the temptation of several pots of fresh herbs, don't despair. There are always options.
#1. Cover. If plants from the second list are planted outside and the forecast is grim, cover with sheets or blankets.
#2. Bring inside. If plants from the second list are outside but still in containers and the forecast is grim, ask nicely for help and bring all inside for the evening.
#3. Punt. Even though this current arrangement wasn't part of my plan (see photo), the three annuals look quite cute lined up in my indoor window box. Two bright coleus, 'Golden Bedder' and 'Rustic Orange,' are paired with a New Guinea impatiens, 'Riviera Blue Improved.'
This also appears in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
