What is a Microclimate?
Inside: One important factor in planning your garden is knowing your microclimate. . . Never heard the term? Learn all about it in today’s post.
If you’re like me, you’re in the beginning stages of garden planning. Spring is taking its time putting in an appearance, so the good news is that if you are a procrastinator, you’ve got some time to do this garden thing up right. Which brings me to an important point to ponder while in the planning stages–your microclimate.
What is a microclimate? I looked the term up in several different dictionaries, searching for a definition which most closely reflects our gardening purposes. Encarta won out with this entry: the climate of a confined space or small geographic area. The small geographic area we’re talking about today is your yard.
As most gardeners both newbie and seasoned know, the regions of the US are divided into planting or hardiness zones. In case you’ve never heard of it, a hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone. That’s just a fancy way of saying certain plants grow in certain areas because of how hot, cold, dry, and humid it gets. In other words, what grows in Naples, Florida, likely won’t grow in Fairbanks, Alaska. If you consult a hardiness zone map, you will see where your location fits. For example, my location is in zone 6a. This is a good rule of thumb to go by when purchasing plants for your yard.
So how does a microclimate come into play? Your yard is affected by the amount of light, temperature, wind exposure, slope of your land, closeness to buildings, and trees. For example, in my yard I have a large tool shed blocking much of the west and the land gradually slopes down to the east. The garden is located in the southeast corner, so it gets a good amount of sun, but because of that slope, patchy frost will often settle in, whereas the northern side can withstand it because the land is even and we have a line of large trees. But that area gets limited sun. Beds up against my home get more warmth. While water generally trickles down the sloped garden area, if it’s a particularly rainy spring, the water can collect, which spells disaster for my peppers. We’ve had several wet springs, so I’ve had to make adjustments in recent years, one of which is to move the peppers to a hay bale raised bed.
How do you work within your own microclimate? You probably know more about your yard than you think, but taking notes throughout the season will give you a record of useful information for future garden plans. Keep track of what plants work where. Pay close attention to the directions on the plant stick stakes before you purchase, and take into account the nuances of your various garden beds–amount of sun and shade, susceptibility to early frost, water run off, and proximity to buildings and trees.
And next time you are among folks talking garden, throw out the word microclimate and watch everybody admire your garden savvy!
What’s your microclimate like? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Cloud Hunting, Cup O’ Happiness, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Inside: Desperately seeking clouds, the little things that make your day, and what is in a word.
Desperately Seeking Clouds
More from the continuing saga of my photography class.
I’ve been desperately seeking clouds. It’s all about a photo assignment, due Thursday. I’ve been tasked to show movement in them, but in order to do that you need–you guessed it–clouds. And while any clouds will do, the ones which work best for this particular assignment are the cumulus variety that seem to be in a hurry.
So morning, throughout the day, and into the evening, for the past two weeks, I’ve been parting the blinds, peeking skyward in search of the perfect cloud and light conditions. That’s also taking into consideration the camera equipment I’m using, though my teacher (Emily) sent me a filter to help me in my quest.
She’s been coaching me, offering advice and encouragement. Last week she sent me a text: Fast-moving clouds. And they were perfect. Unfortunately, the person behind the viewfinder is not. But what I have been noticing is that from all of these bad photos I’m getting it. My brain is starting to understand the basics. Progress!
So while the cloud situation didn’t look wonderful one night this past week, I headed outdoors anyway, layered in sweatshirt, coat, and stocking cap, into the jaws of the west wind for a sunset photo with moving clouds. The above is one of the results. I eagerly came home and inserted my SD card into my laptop to see what I captured and thought maybe. I showed them to Hubs, and he patiently scrolled through them.
“What do you think?”
He gave me that look that says, “Ah, Grasshopper, you have much to learn.” And then, as I have asked him to do, he shows me what did and didn’t work and gives me more pointers. To be sure, I didn’t “nail it.” There are several flaws, but after two weeks of repeated failures, I’m kind of happy with this one.
Did I happen to mention I have another portion of the assignment? Night photography. I got a date with a crescent moon in my near future. Say a little prayer for me.
The Little Things That Make Your Day
A cup of coffee too pretty to drink? Well, almost. Caleb at Roasted Bean does a wonderful job fixing my decaf sugar-free hazelnut latte. One of the things I love about Mondays.
I’m not the sort who needs diamond rings or expensive clothes to make me happy. As a matter of fact, it’s hard to come up with gift ideas for my birthday when I’m asked. My list this year consists of a few kitchen utensils and scented soaps.
Also world peace and a better Netflix selection.
But, seriously, I’m a simple gal. It’s the little things that bring me joy. A line from a poem that stays with me for days. A striking photograph. Finding a new recipe that I love. Seeds popping through soil. Observing the natural world around me and the subtle march of seasonal activities. (Pun intended.) Small talk with small town people. And a thousand other little things.
I come from a line of low maintenance women. I often remind my husband of that fact and how blessed he is to have me. He works at a church where diva sightings are common enough and he knows he has it good.
Fortunately for me, he’s a pretty simple guy, too.
What Is in a Word?
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter–’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightening.” –Mark Twain
So Hubs and I are riding along on the way to church the other day, and I’m talking a mile a minute, jumping from one subject to the next when finally I come up for air.
“You’re quiet,” I say.
“You’re talking,” he says.
“I know, you’ve got tonight’s work on your mind. You probably didn’t hear much of what I said.”
“I’m captive,” he says.
“Aww,” I say, “you find me captivating?”
“No, I’m captive. I can’t go anywhere else.” (He says this with his classic dry humor.)
Captive versus captivating? I’ll take captive any day. . .
After all, he can’t go anywhere else. (Grin.)
What’s happening in your neck of the woods? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Spring Bucket List: 25 Ways to Celebrate the Season
Inside: Just in time—my spring bucket list with 25 ways to celebrate the season. Not that you needed a reason.
Picture courtesy of Emily Moore.
I’m more than ready for spring. Can you tell? Here are 25 ways to celebrate the season. While I doubt I’ll get to everything, I’m keeping my list handy. You never know when an opportunity might present itself. (Like number 10.)
Enjoy!
- Color eggs. Buy one of those easy-peasy kits or do it the old fashioned way with food coloring and a little vinegar, string, crayons, and masking tape to make designs.
- Start seeds in a sunny window.
- Roast asparagus in peak season.
- Take a walk in the woods and search for dogwood.
- Bake a loaf of Irish Soda Bread.
- Make an Easter basket.
- Buy a beautiful pot for growing flowers and plan how you will fill it.
- Go fly a kite—literally!
- Wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, whether or not you are Irish.
- Indulge in a chocolate egg (small indulgence) or a chocolate bunny (big indulgence).
- Bake Hot Cross Buns.
- Sit by an open window on a warm day and read a good book.
- Attend a sunrise service.
- Hide Easter eggs with a child.
- Allow yourself to wander around a garden center, taking in the floral sights and scents of all the new arrivals.
- Become a backyard birdwatcher—if only for a day.
- Egg salad anyone? Here’s an easy recipe for Curried Egg Salad: 2 hard boiled eggs chopped, 2 tablespoons of mayo, 1 teaspoon of sweet and spicy mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon of red curry powder. Nom!
- Pick a bouquet of spring flowers.
- Go for a stroll in a gentle spring rain. Umbrella optional.
- Treat your mother (or any mother) to lunch to celebrate Mother’s Day.
- Go strawberry picking. Be sure and snack on a few while hunting for the red beauties.
- Try planting something you’ve never planted before.
- Visit a botanical garden and see what’s in bloom.
- Make strawberry shortcake. No need to be fancy. Buy a pound cake to slice, cut up some strawberries with sugar or sweetener, and dollop generously with whipped cream.
- Break out your favorite pair of sandals for a “test walk.”
Picture by Emily Moore.
How do you celebrate spring? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Spring Forward
Inside: Hurrying spring forward with one of my favorite posts from last year. Maybe you can relate.
Is it possible to be homesick for spring? If so, I am.
While most years you can count me in with the folks eagerly awaiting robin sightings and tulips pushing up through the cold earth, this year I’m lacking in patience. Signs aren’t enough. I want spring now. Now! And the weather is just not cooperating. Like Tuesday night’s snow–thankfully brief. Okay, I’ll admit it was pretty, but I’m done. Memories from one particular Easter from my teen years came back to me as I recalled women and girls in their pastel dresses and open-toed shoes gingerly walking in the snow to church.
It can happen in Missouri. . .
Today’s repost from last year reminds me to persevere–and cheer! So enjoy. And look for my spring bucket list in the next day or two with plenty of ideas to celebrate the season.
Reposted from April 2, 2017.
Way to Go, Birds!
“Apparently the birds need encouragement,” my brother told Mom and me over the phone a couple of weeks ago. He then explained that his youngest, Victoria, had walked outside with him and, upon hearing the birds singing, said, “Way to go, birds! Keep up the good work.”
I’d been thinking similar thoughts recently when a cold snap interrupted our early spring. The nightly temps dipped into the teens, ruining the annual show of white flowers and fruit tree blossoms. I’d been worried about the birds, wondering if the cold had been too much for them. But from inside my warm house, I could hear them singing even louder than usual. It was as though they said, “Oh yeah, winter? We’ll show you!”
While March turned out to be cooler than February and April has yet to prove itself, the birds remain obstinate in my little corner of the good green Earth.
My spring heroes.
Are you a birdwatcher? Tell us about it in the comments.
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