I don’t know about you but my garden is close to being fully planted! I hope yours is too, despite the setbacks we’ve been having. In spite of the challenges, I was SO thankful for the moisture this past weekend, as we definitely needed it.
I looked at my spinach the other day and it was bolting (because of the unusually hot weather last week) and then the leaves were shredded (because of the hail we had a few days later). It encapsulated so perfectly the growing season so far.
I have to say that getting pelted by hail in an attempt to save my newly planted peppers doesn’t bring out my most graceful self :-). As I always like to share, growing in a cold climate is not for the faint of heart. Every setback is an opportunity to test our resolve, and further encouragement to design for more resilience as we move forward.
This question of resilience always brings me back to the advantages of planting perennial systems. Undoubtedly, our perennial plants, which get a jumpstart on the season, are way more resilient then precious annuals that have just been introduced to an outdoor environment. For example, even though some of my rhubarb leaves were damaged, they were already big and strong before the hailstorm hit. So despite a few holes in the leaves, they will bounce back without any problem. That’s why I often encourage my clients to plant fruit trees, berry bushes, and other perennial edibles if they have the space. Even though we love our annual gardens, they are way more susceptible to wacky weather patterns.
But before you rush out to buy that apple, plum or cherry tree, watch my short video below. In it, I share the two common mistakes that I see people make when they are planting their food forests. I also cover two ways in which to prevent them.
As always, let me know if you have any questions by putting them in the comments below!