Listen and Learn

Note to Self: Listen to the locals and take to heart what they say.

I decided to try my hand at a vegetable garden this year after having wild success last year with a couple of zucchini and tomato plants. I began tilling the soil fairly early in April because the weather was so unseasonably warm and I just couldn't wait to get planting! As I was digging, hoeing and sifting, a neighbor stopped by, and said, "Looks like you're going to have quite a garden here! You know, it's still a little too early to plant. Up here, people usually wait until around the 10th of May to avoid the threat of frost." I smiled and nodded, but I had a hard time believing that Waterville's planting season could be so far offset from Wenatchee's. I did consider her advice, knowing that she would obviously know better than I, but ultimately I made the decision to plant a little early, thinking that this year, as warm as it had been, would be different.

I planted corn, beans, peas, tomatoes, sunflowers, blueberries, lettuce, broccoli, onions, carrots, squash and pumpkins! I eagerly watered and watched over the next couple of weeks as little sprouts began to emerge. Things seemed to be growing beautifully in my proud little garden until the first week of May when lo and behold... we were hit with frost! The little frostbitten leaves wilted and the stems withered leaving brown sticks where many of my baby plants had been. I was able to nurse a few back to life but ended up having to do a lot of replanting.

In short, my hastiness did not pay off. Thankfully, I now have a pretty decently thriving garden, but taking my neighbor's advice would have saved me quite a bit of work! Lesson learned. Next year, I'm picking up a Farmer's Almanac and I'll wait until the 10th of May no matter how deceptively warm and beautiful the weather happens to be!