Reagle Ridge Herb Farm Feb. 2009 Newsletter

News from the Farm Feb 2009


In This Issue
Where is Spring?
Phil saw his Shadow
How does your garden grow?
Color in, and from the garden
Master Naturalist Training


For those of you in the area, we will begin a new training for the Beagle Ridge Master Naturalist Chapter this spring. We will be sending applications out shortly. If you are interested in joining us we will add you to the list.Email us.

Remember our products are available at the following locations
in Wytheville : Crocketts Country Store and The Museum and in Rural Retreat they are available at the Rural Retreat WInery.

Where is Spring?

This has been an unusally harsh winter for most of the country and I hope you are all safe. For those of us who have been struggling through snow, ice and frigid temperatures we may be wishing for winter to be over. I for one am ready for
spring.

However winter is a necessary time of respite, a time for our plants to rest, and reinvigorate. and hopefully with enough cold, the pests in the garden will succumb. That makes for a more enjoyable gardening experience this summer if it ever comes.

Speaking of the bitter cold, we had lows of -8 in Wytheville and it remains to be see if some of our plants will make it thorugh this winter. I am always pushing the envelope and we have plants which are supposedly only hardy to zone 7. For years we have been lucky and by creating warmer microclimates we have grown Spanish Lavender, Pineapple Sage and many others. I am afraid these bitter temps may finally have caught up with them I will keep you posted. Even zone 6 plants will be challenged by these lows and this spring may make some major changes to the gardens. Let's hope for the positive.

"Phil Saw his Shadow"
What a difference a couple days make! As I sit here looking at a beautiful blue sky and enjoying 52 degrees on Feb. 2 I have a bad case of spring fever. The groundhogs here in Southwest VA have seen their shadow which means 6 more weeks of winter.

I realize some of you are now yelling at the computer because of conditions on your end but let me assure you this is an anomally for us. We have had more precipitation and lower temps than normal for us this year. Just a few days earlier we had snow and we are expecting a "snow event" in another couple of days. At this time of year our weather changes on a dime and it is back to winter again.


The pond at Hemlock Cove is frozen over, look carefully to see tracks in the snow. Howver the spring is still open since it seldom gets below 50, and newts were swimming in the sunshine. It amazes me to see life at such chilly temps. They will be breeding soon as will the frogs and the vernal pool and backwash areas will be alive with their song. That will be my sign that spring is here!

How does your garden grow?
On a pretty day in winter I like to walk through the garden, assess what is happening and document what I have found. I have done this for years and this way I have a great record of when the first Bluebell makes a showing,when Fiddleheads unfurl or when the pussy willows will bloom. Year after year I am amazed with the awakening in the garden. For the rest of this article click here Read More and go to the newsletter link.
Color in and from the garden
How many of you have ever cut branches and brought them into the house? Yes, I do mean when they are "lifeless" in the middle of winter. My mother would cut long branches of forsythia and quince, place them in a large vase and place them on a table. Several weeks later the branches would burst into bloom and provide a wonderful glimpse of the upcoming season. I don't know about you but anytime I can bring the outdoors in is a good day.
Now go out and walk around your garden and see what spring blooming blooms you might be able to bring in and get a head start on spring. While you are walking around take a good look to see if anything is breaking the ground. In our gardens chamomile, fennel, several daffodils and even some daylilies were peaking through the mulch. Now these will all be bitten by the bitter cold which is to arrive by the end of the week. Don't worry they will repeat this several times before spring gets here.
This leads me to a project I think many of you would love to participate in: Project Budburst.
If you will be looking at your gardens anyway why not become a citizen scientist and input dat from your own gardens. It will teach you to look at things with a different eye. I have used this with my students and kids as young as first graders learn observation skills as they participate. You can monitor a certain plant or plants and then upload your data to their site, checking for the first bud swell of spring. It is a bit more detailed, I will let the site explain it to you.

Upcoming events:
Rain Barrel Workshop at Beagle Ridge Mar 14,
Go Green Day in Galax on Mar 17
Garden Faire in Abingdon April 17-19
Spring Opening at Beagle Ridge April 25
Scarbourough Faire in Roanoke May 2

Visit our site for more information events at the farm.

1934 Matney Flats Rd
Wytheville, Virginia 24382
That's all for now,

Thanks for being part of the Beagle Ridge family. We appreciate your input so let us know if there is something you would like us to address in the newsletter.
Enjoy the weather, it's the only weather we have!

Ellen and Gregg

Contact Info
ellen and gregg reynolds
email us at beagleridge@gmail.com

276-621-4511

Beagle Ridge Herb Farm | 1934 Matney Flats Rd | PO 419 | Wytheville | VA | 24382