April Fools

Chicago and North Carolina are both capricious when it comes to weather.   This is my second April here and I'm discovering the ups and downs of the Middle South climate-changes from one extreme to the other and so sudden and frequent. April has fooled me this year with its cold and warm days.   And as I read ' Miz' Elizabeth's My Southern Garden I find her words to be so true :  " In the South the progress of the season does not follow the accepted pattern of spring, summer fall, and winter.  Spring, when spring should come, has already been with us at intervals throughout the winter.  Summer lasts into fall, and fall into winter.The garden year has no beginning and no end. "

Spring has indeed been with us this year throughout the winter, teasing us here and then with some nice warm sunny days .  I planted a winter veggie garden in my deck containers and they survived some very frosty mornings .  March was not as warm as the previous one but nevertheless it enticed me to wander out to the garden center in search of more plants.    I planted up my raised bed garden on the deck with pak choi, a chinese celery, leeks, green onions, mustard greens, savoy cabbages and chard and they are doing well.  Some chilly nights I have to wrap them in their blankets.

My first deck garden which I planted last season in early April .  I had an abundance of harvest from the container of herbs ( upper left ) all summer and the only vegetable I planted were two tomatoes that gave us an ample supply. 

 

As my four year old granddaughter Lea and I walk around and see the various blooming shrubs and trees  I point them out by name.   " Oh, look at the " forsinthia " bushes, Grandma, " she declares, " aren't they gorgeous ? "    She knows and loves the pear and cherry trees that are blooming all over Chapel Hill .  

On this what promises to be a bright, sunshiny day in April  with temperatures in the mid-60's I think I'll venture out once again to the garden center to see what will call my name.   Any day now it will be suddenly summer and I've got to be ready.  My little renter's garden in front is peaking out from its winter doldrums - the roses are looking good and I actually saw some growth on the Lantana .   I'm going to add some colorful annuals this Spring .  This may be the month or year I finally sell my Chicago home and move closer to getting one here.   It has been a real emotional roller coaster and lifestyle adjustment but I'm confident that once I get settled into my own home and plant my own garden I can thengrow along with it.