Thursday, March 06, 2008

I Stand Corrected (Almost)

Yesterday I complained about the snow. Today the chairman of Burpee says a good snow cover is beneficial for the garden and yard. He describes the ideal as a "heavy blanket of snow" topped with a "thin duvet cover of ice" and declares this the perfect protection for perennials and shrubs from winter's drying winds.

But rarely do we in northeast Indiana get a snowfall that stays around all winter. Instead, it snows, then melts, then snows, then rains, then sleets, then melts, etc. with the wind blowing almost all the time. And it seems to be getting worse, especially the wind.

Actually, what seems to have the biggest negative affect on spring beauty in my yard are late frosts. And my biggest summer problem the last few years has been lack of rain. In 2005 and 2007 I watered more than I mowed. This year I am contemplating an irrigation system to ease the burden of watering, but I guess I will just have to tolerate the erratic frost patterns.

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