Friday, September 6, 2013

Garden Rescue!


I almost had a heart attack when I read my email warning of a frost for tonight.

My tomatoes had just started ripening 5 days ago and all my other plants and veggies were really starting to produce well.  This was not a good time for a garden disaster.


My most valuable crop are the very rare pole beans from Dr Rowe's seeds.

Not many of these old heirloom bean seeds left on the face of the earth, so I knew I would cover them first.


I ransacked my bedroom for every sheet I could find.

I carefully wrapped 5 of the poles in sheets, one grain bag and a table cloth.   Clothespins held the colorful materials together.
 



With a few odds and ends I covered my most productive tomato plant.

Then I kidnapped a neighbor who was out for his evening walk and took him down to the community garden to help cover the lettuce and tomatoes there.


Peggy had ransacked her farmhouse for every sheet and blanket she could find and filled her vehicle up and then drove like crazy to the Rowe Community Garden.



She had some nice colors and plaids too.    I heard the tomatoes say "Wow."

I think Peggy must of stripped some of the blankets off her own beds.


Knowing how many people this garden is feeding, it was of vital importance to get as much of the crops covered as possible.

The 14 rows of kale and broccoli will be fine without a blanket.


After we tucked in these veggies for the cold night ahead, Peggy rushed home to wrap up her pole beans and tomatoes as well.

We will see what the damage is tomorrow.


Did you have a frost where you live ?
~

4 comments:

  1. no frost here yet. but, i use newspaper and a stapler to make cones to cover my plants.

    ReplyDelete
  2. WHAT?!? Frost already?!? Shoot, we're happy if we are down to 70 at night!
    I hope everything came through okay!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Here in Ontario there was also a possibility of frost Thursday night. Actually that forecast was not for our immediate area but still, like you, I covered things with everything at hand, just to be safe.
    Many years ago, I think it was 1982, the first frost was on August 27th!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. No frosts here, to be 41 tonight. I've collected a big bag of old sheets that I keep just for frosts. Some years I cover things, other years I just let it go.

    Our first frost used to be the 3rd week of Sept. Of the last 6 years, sometimes it's not come until the 3rd week of October. I'm not sure we've had a hard frost in Sept. in that period here on the farm in Western Mass.

    ReplyDelete