In gardening terms, if cold weather is considered a coffin for your new baby plants, then high winds could be considered the nails that seal the deal. We have been hit with some torrential storms the last few days here on the east coast. That combined with last week’s low temperatures have decimated any outdoor progress I have been making. I tried to protect the plants, I strung up trellises for support and covered any sproutlings I thought would have trouble only to have completely lost the battle with the wind. It’s like a garden graveyard out there….and it’s times like these you just have to wipe the slate clean and try again. Remember, it’s called gardening, NOT growing for this very reason.

So I am getting ahead in some areas, but falling behind in others. Not to worry, as this is what it’s all about. Gardening will definitely teach you all about cutting your losses and trying again. I think the beans and peas will have to be restarted indoors, even though some of the plants are holding on. I really want my plants to have the best chance possible, so any growth problems this young could spell serious production problems later. My plants have had their souls broken, they have been beaten and beaten again, first by cold and now by wind. One or the other they could have recovered from….but these two opponents together formed the perfect storm of doom. I’m going to leave what’s out there to keep trying, I’ll keep watering them, but I am going to the backup plan of restarting them in the nursery so that I can size them up and decide who stays and who gets replaced. Any extras will be given away since I’ve had a few people ask me for baby plants….nurseries have been limited in the stores. Part of the fun for me is growing things that I can give away. I am proud of my plants, I enjoy seeing others find the fun in gardening like I did. I met a neighbor on a walk last summer who I was trading my tomatoes for her squash. We both had different plants that were thriving and had more than we could use.

There is also another YouTuber I want you guys to check out if you want to grow potatoes or carrots. The name of the channel is Home Grown Veg. He is located in the U.K., I believe Irish or Scottish. Don’t trust the automatically generated subtitles, as it slaughters what he is actually saying. If you can get past his thick accent, he is a wealth of information on these root vegetables. He has a backyard-size garden, but don’t be fooled. He grows pounds and pounds of vegetables in containers and raised beds. He uses common household items and isn’t about making this fancy, just functional. Explanations are simple and direct….and when he takes his plants out of pots to harvest, there is more vegetables than dirt!! If you’re home in isolation with nothing to occupy your time, check him out!!

Another thing I wanted to share is some news I have heard a few times this weekend that may be causing alarm. Smithfield, the large pork producer, has had to shut down a larger plant in South Dakota due to the spread of Coronavirus. Many employees have fallen ill and keeping the virus away from the meats have become difficult. I respect their decision, as I know they are outselling production estimates with people in this buying frenzy and probably making a very healthy profit right now. But that isn’t what caught the attention of myself as well as the media. It seems while reporting this, the CEO of Smithfield has voiced concerns over the country’s meat supply. I can’t help but feel like a statement like that could cause even more panic buying. It definitely isn’t helping the already delicate supply that is available. This will just cause people to buy it all up, all over again.

I’ll wrap this blog up with some final thoughts for you to ponder….preparation is key. I’ve been saying this since the start of this blog. The whole idea of the victory garden is to help you and your family come out winners when things are in short supply. Different government officials keep getting on the news, touting how they believe the curve to be flattening and that the medical community is getting a handle on this. But yesterday was Easter, not everyone obeyed the rules and stayed isolated. I would expect to see cases jump, hopefully just slightly, from those rule-breakers in about a week or two. We all have to keep at it, stay away from each other, work to prepare a food supply in your house for your family. If you happen to come across them, buy canning jars and lids, we may need them soon and canning definitely will help you stretch out the fruits of your summer labor all year long. We will even can meats, soups and stews for all year use, just like the canned food you buy in the store. I don’t think we are out of the woods yet, I’m not even sure we can see the clearing through the trees….so let’s be proactive. Let’s grow together 💜🌱💜