The past few days have been gloriously warm, the temps inching each day upwards until today I am not sure what the legal actual temperature is but it is deliciously teasing. It also puts me in mind of what my granny would call Blackberry Winter.
What is Blackberry Winter you ask? That is a time in the spring generally speaking, when fruits and other perennials get fooled into blooming too early. And then, whammie! A sudden late frost will kill their blooms and consequently their harvest.
While there are officially no blackberries blooming right now, there are some things starting to bud out a tad bit too early for my liking. Our worst weather generally comes in March and even late April has seen us with some severe frost/snow. So when I see my tender babies anxious to make an appearance, I want to shelter them from the cold cruel world a while longer. Note: I do think of my plants as my little children, a sad sign that I am getting old, not quite senile, just sentimental . . . don't jeer or jest at me. I am quite sentimental over my precious pretties.
I have given them a severe talking to. I have warned them that just because I am in short sleeves today does not give them license to do the same. I am older by far and know when to put a sweater on. Common sense says don't start showing yourself until the grosbeaks are back in numbers or even the robins hop on the ground by your feet.
I don't know how long this weather will tease us, lulling us all into the complacency of doing foolish things, like spring cleaning or even, GASP! raking heaps of leaves away from tender perennials, but I for one will continue to warn others of Blackberry Winter.
3 comments:
I'm just hoping and praying that this is NOT a blackberry winter here for me!!!!!! It is, indeed, my blackberries that I'm worried about. We've had some warm days after a very long cold spell, and my blackberries are sprouting leaves already. Very chancey for us, as we usually get a late frost around the end of Feb. or the beginning of March. I was so hoping for the taste of blackberries this summer!!!!!
So good to see your smiling face, and I just LOVE the song playing!!!!! I think of you every time I look at my doll in her pink ribbon dress!!!!
Blackberries require a cold snap while in bloom to produce fruit, and just like clockwork nature will provide that cold snap almost every year.Today being 5-5-11 in the North Ga mountains marks our blackberry winter with frost in many areas.
Robert, you live in an area so surrounded by the beauty of God's handiwork - sorry for the late frost. It was like that here in my area this morning as well. I wanted to stay in bed with the quilts wrapped around me.
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