WNC'S WILD AND CRAZY WEATHER

Shakespeare may have said that April is the cruelest month, but he had never had experience with spring in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Over the last two weeks, we have had several days where the temperatures have approached 80 degrees, followed by days of accumulating snow and overnight frosts, interspersed with sunny, very windy days with typical cool spring temperatures, followed by deluges of heavy rain. Parts of the area were threatened with tornadoes and flash floods. Meanwhile, flowering trees like dogwoods and sourwoods are trying to bloom and early veggies like broccoli and greens are struggling to maintain some kind of growth against Mother Nature’s moods.

I’ve been a gardener since I was a teenager, and I’ve grown something in most places I’ve lived around the world. But this is the most challenging environment to my green thumb of anyplace I’ve ever tried to raise a plant. The timing is just impossible. Some plants have to go in early enough to beat the later heat—but frost can threaten as late as Mother’s Day despite the official frost-free date of April 20. Later plants (like tomatoes) have to be protected much longer than anywhere else as a result, and their yields are delayed accordingly. Disease-resistant varieties are a must, since the crazy weather can weaken plants and make them susceptible to things like wilt later in the summer. It’s a wonder early white settlers didn’t all starve to death.

In case you think I’m just whining, take a look at this list of the real seasons mountain folk live through every year. (Hint: it’s not just four.) Maybe you have a similar list where you live. And in case you’re wondering, we’ve just passed Third Winter (sometimes called Dogwood Winter) and we’re entering The Pollening now. My car is covered with yellow powder.

Wherever you are, I hope the seasons are following their natural course for you.

Cheers, Donna