The Clouds Disappeared and the Mercury Soared

The clouds disappeared and the mercury soared over 60° today taking my garden by surprise. I had to remove all my cold frames from the broccoli and cauliflower because they wilted. I watered them and gave them shade and they have started to perk back up. The zucchini transplants turned dark green and started smiling..

They think they're in Bolivia. Looking at the weather forecast indicates 60° days and 40° nights, so I get to start transplanting out cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew melon. They will go into mounds that have been covered in plastic for a week, and get cold frames that I will close up at night, so they should be as happy as the zucchini..

If you have a significant slug problem, which you probably will if you have rocks, mulch and perennials in the garden, you'll need to reapply Deadline every 14 days until the damage stops. The older plants are able to somewhat resist the slugs by growing tiny barblike hairs on their stems and leaves, so I stop using it mid spring. I don't step on slugs when I'm walking in the fields and woods because I've seen geese eating them, and geese are cool..

Slugs have their place in the natural order of things, just not in my garden..

I direct seeded cucumbers, butternut squash and mini pumpkins today into three of the mounds that I've had covered in plastic for a week. Poking my finger in the soil was rewarded with warmth. Bright sunlight and 60° temperature forced me to remove the cold frames from the squash and melon because they were wilting. Plants require some air flow to remain cool and they were unable to recuperate even under the shade I provided..

I've not been paying enough attention to air circulation again because I've got aphid on the lettuce in the greenhouse. I've started proping open the door during the day and opening the vent on the other side, so we'll see how that works out..

When the cook enters the garden, me and the plants cringe. She carries a big knife and a handful of zip lock bags. Her head turns back and forth like a T Rex seeking it's next victim. She's not here for the aesthetics, it's food her presence craves. "What's that?" She points at the most beautiful overwintered purple and blue kale plant, with jagged leaves symmetricly surrounding an ever expanding core..

It has miraculously escaped the ravages of the birds voratious appetite, and is now the prettiest plant in the garden. It looks like a big flower. I should have said "Hemlock" because now it looks like the result of an overzealous weed whacker..