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Weather Predicting - DIY
Before we had the "Storm Tracking Team" or the Weather Channel, folks anticipated upcoming weather based on nature and what they observed around them. Many of the tradtional sayings they used are accurate. Do these sound familar?
Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning.
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
When clouds appear like towers, the Earth is refreshed by frequent showers.
Ring around the moon? Rain real soon.
Rain foretold, long last.
Short notice, soon will pass.
Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.
Visit The Old Farmer's Almanac for more information on more information on these sayings and do-it-yourself weather forecasting.
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Greetings!
Do you remember the drought of 2008? I think about how we all hoped and prayed for rain that summer as I navigate the mud that is all around the farm now. Even the high spots are slushy. The Farmer's Almananc 2010 forecast warns of frequent stormy weather into March, with heavy rains and wet snows, for much of North America. In fact, they predict that the coming days and weeks will see at least three-quarters of the nation enduring unseasonably cold weather, with only the far western US experiencing near or above normal temperatures. The Almanac predicted our recent winter weather fairly accurately so I am making plans accordingly. That means focusing on getting the hoophouses and raised beds ready for spring crops that would normally go into the field and seeding small quantities of summer veggies in succession in case we are all pushed to plant later in season.
No matter what is falling from the sky right now, Spring will arrive and we will all want to enjoy the fresh veggies and herbs of the season. Both first time gardeners and experienced hands are sending us their plant orders. A second year gardener shared his experience with us when he placed his transplant order recently. Read more below...
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First Time Gardeners
Dear Mary,
My wife Molly has always enjoyed planting flowers in the spring. During the winter of 2008 we started to read about home gardens in Sunset magazine and thought it would be a great thing to try, however we were both a little skeptical if we would be able to make it work.
So with a little more research, we decided to start a small temporary garden. I built a 6' by 15' raised bed out of PVC pipe and landscape felt. We knew we wanted to try to be organic and thought it would be great to use someone local.
Molly was thrilled when she found your website, as we didn't want to start from seeds and we had someone we could talk to about the transplanting process,maintaining and harvesting our garden.
After some email exchanges with you last year we decided on a variety of summer herbs and vegetables we enjoy to eat. After we transplanted all of your plants we had some left over space, which we filled in with plants from a chain hardware store. I figured this would be a little experiment to see what worked best. I'm sure you know the answer to this.
After the first 3 weeks we thought we had done something wrong because nothing seemed to be growing, however when June came, it was amazing to see the garden come alive. By July we were starting to reap the rewards of our hard work. The hardware store plants barely produced anything, however your plants just wouldn't stop. We told our neighbors they could come and take what ever they wanted because we weren't going to be able to eat it all.
We had the best luck with the Chadwick Cherry & Mortgage Lifter for tomatoes and the Goldy squash. Our two basil plants were taller than our daughter and gave a great smell to our back yard.
This year we installed a more permanent garden with six 4' x 10' raised planter boxes I built out of cedar and we worked with a landscape service to give the area an english garden type feel, complete with landscape lighting and irrigation for the garden that we put in. When the weather clears up I will send along pictures of the new garden. Attached is our order for this year.We look forward to another year of good eating.
Steve & Molly B.
Waxhaw, NC |
FOODIE FAVORITES
New garden combination packs from
Windcrest Farm  Six specially selected, certified organic plant varieties packaged in a handy carrying tray made from 100% recycled and compostable paper and a handle made from certified biodegradable plastic. Each plant is grown in a 3" plantable pot with a special mix containing beneficial microbes, minerals and nutrient-rich materials and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
- Heritage Tomato Collection 1 & 2
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Mediterranean Medley
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Sweet Salsa Collection
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Sassy Salsa Collection
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Chef's Culinary Herb Collection
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Beneficial & Pollinator Collection
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Poppin' Pepper Collection
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Sweet Pepper Collection
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Bountiful Basil Collection
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Edible Flower Collection
** Combo photo courtesty of Harris Seed Compan | |
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Sincerely,
Mary Roberts
Windcrest Farm
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. - Andy Warhol |
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