A new season

	Mostly Cloudy High 53° F Precip: 20% A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 53F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.		Showers Low 37° F Precip: 70% Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 37F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
	Sunrise: 6:38 AM		Sunset: 7:05 PM

Spring has officially been here for 6 days, but this week started out cold and windy! However, the garden must be attended to, and two weekends ago we began cleaning and rebuilding the yard. Looking back over my blog posts from last spring, I found that I've started gardening nearly 2 weeks earlier!

Last year we had to start from scratch, and it was very nice this year to go out to the garden plot and simply turn over the compost. I planted lettuce, mesclun, spinach, and radish seeds--all good for cooler weather. As the frost free date is 2 months away here in New England, I went down to the hardware store and bought a giant sheet of clear plastic to cover the plot. The south side of it was still frozen, but I managed to find enough frost-free dirt for 6 rows. I secured the plastic with the rocks that had risen through the soil over the winter, and within an hour the underside was already coated with moisture--a sign of the sun's thawing the dirt. I checked yesterday and many of the seeds have sprouted. A good sign in 38 degree weather!

As Jon did not have to dig out a cable trench or any stumps, he spent the day building a wonderful cold frame. I will have to post a picture because it really is nicely constructed. In a month or so I will be able to harden off seedlings. He used two of our extra storm windows and the remains of some kitchen cabinets that had been damaged in one of the many garage flash floods (we still don't know where the water comes from!). It is just off the patio, and receives full sun all day long.

The tulips are coming up around our dogwood trees in the back, and out front the crocus are blooming. The front rock area seems to have taken a hit over the winter by the chipmunks. I can't find a single daffodil. I'm hoping they are just taking their time! I will have to plant more in the fall. This does leave room for the lavendar I plan on putting in though.

I'm happy to report that some of the herbs are coming back! I noticed the Greek oregano sprouting the other day--a herb I thought would be killed by our freezing, long winter. Also the chives are very green and spreading. If the rosemary and thyme come back there will be very little to replace. I'm keeping my eye out.

We've started a new season, and have a solid plan for the vegetable garden. Some of the changes will be tomatoes in pots near the patio or in the front yard, more bush beans rather than pole beans, and hopefully a pumpkin that grows!

Imbolc and Candlemass

Partly Cloudy High 17° F Partly cloudy. Cold. High 17F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Sunrise: 6:55 AM	Partly Cloudy Low 3° F Partly cloudy. Low 3F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Sunset: 5:05 PM

"If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, / winter will have another bite. / If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, / winter is gone and will not come again.

Groundhog day was Monday, and boy did that sucker hide. Groundhog day was brought over by German immigrants, and is actually a holiday that is celebrated in many cultures and religions for as long as civilization has been around. It is celebrated on February 2, which is the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere. Also known as Imbolc and Candlemass, the groundhog is only one of the manifestations of a spring prophecy. The Scottish used a snake, the Celts used Cailleach, the hag, and some English used bears or wolves. Celtic legend states that Cailleach gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter on this day, and if it is sunny and bright she can gather a lot of wood...meaning winter will last longer.

"Down with the rosemary, and so

Down with the bays and mistletoe;

Down with the holly, ivy, all,

Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall"

— Robert Herrick (1591–1674), "Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve"

February 2nd is also the day to take down any remaining holiday decorations! Although your trees may have already been taken down, many wreaths (and our outdoor lights!) still hang. This is the time to hang a spring wreath or use other decorations. Candlemass has the word "candle" in it because many people burn candles in their windows to show a cheery home and to welcome spring. I myself lit the candles in our unused fireplace and it made the room feel very warm and homey.

So this is a gardening blog...oh yes. Well, I keep reading in the papers how the groundhog is wrong and that we will be cold for another 6 weeks no matter what, and I really want to remind people of one thing: this tradition is not an American one, and does not represent American weather patterns! These traditions come from western Europe, and the main thing that western Europe has going for it is the warm Gulf Stream. The latitude of that part of the world is considerably further north, but February 2 is also the beginning of the planting season in many of these countries and recognized as the first day of spring. As the ground does not usually get a hard freeze (but as I write this London is "buried" under 5 inches of snow) so seeds can begin to be planted for early plants like lettuce and beans. Comparing a hardiness map of Europe with one of the US, we see that much of western Europe is in zones 10-8. Those zones in the US are all south of the Mason-Dixie line! While these zones are all pretty cold right now due to the arctic air that seems to be hell bent on pushing further south this year, in 4 weeks--the "early spring" of the groundhog--these zones will be averaging 70 degree days with nights at 50. At that time in zone 6, we will be averaging 40 degree days with nights at 20. That's a big difference.

So I think people should lay off the groundhog...

Our backyard is under 2 feet of snow, and the past two days have been frigid. Saturday is due to warm up to a wonderful 40 degrees, but with the amount of snow around the air will have a hard time getting here. Next week they are expecting the low 30s, and it will be nice to get to the freezing point again.

It's currently 8 degrees with a warming sun. But I was just looking at some flower pictures, and cannot wait for the tulips and daffodils of April and May!