In an herb-gardening class this morning, I had a lovely participant that had recently moved to South Carolina from upstate NY.
It was a great reminder (for me) of what a wonderfully benign climate that we have in the Carolinas for growing herbs and vegetables!
Our average last spring frost date ("historically" April 15) is really more like April 8 (or earlier) now. And we've moved from Zone 7b to Zone 8, in the Piedmont of South Carolina.
In the mountains of Western North Carolina, where I spend time in the summer and on weekends, in the Asheville basin (where our small house is), we're now Zone 7 b, instead of Zone 6, and I'm sure the 'heat island effect' along with the stone raised beds that I have, bump that up!
Needless to say, even as we're moving into true spring, I'm harvesting the last overwintered arugula (it's starting to bolt) as I'm planting spring cool-season seeds, too, and thinking about transplants of warm-season vegetables to come.
A Master Gardener volunteer, who enjoyed the Hawaiian Pineapple tomatoes last year (that I did, too) asked via email today if we would have transplants for them at our spring sale. Well, no, I replied, as we've rearranged how we grow transplants, but I then ordered seeds, and will share, for sure!
It was a great reminder (for me) of what a wonderfully benign climate that we have in the Carolinas for growing herbs and vegetables!
Our average last spring frost date ("historically" April 15) is really more like April 8 (or earlier) now. And we've moved from Zone 7b to Zone 8, in the Piedmont of South Carolina.
In the mountains of Western North Carolina, where I spend time in the summer and on weekends, in the Asheville basin (where our small house is), we're now Zone 7 b, instead of Zone 6, and I'm sure the 'heat island effect' along with the stone raised beds that I have, bump that up!
Needless to say, even as we're moving into true spring, I'm harvesting the last overwintered arugula (it's starting to bolt) as I'm planting spring cool-season seeds, too, and thinking about transplants of warm-season vegetables to come.
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| Amending vegetable beds in the satellite garden (a couple of years ago) |