Despite the mid-week snow, on the warmest day of the year yesterday, the potato shoots were popping up, along with a large rash of arugula that looked like all the seeds had sprouted, rhubarb and hard-necked German garlic, the mother of all garlics with cloves as big as your thumb. Whether they survive this week’s plunge into far colder temperatures remains to be seen, but we’re expecting rain tomorrow, more snow mid-week and a steady 40F or thereabouts.

I was reminded at the weekend by Catskills’ locals that winter used to be far longer and they are vividly seeing the effects of climate change. Years ago, no gardening was done before Memorial Day. If you want to farm in the upper elevations of the Catskills, it would be wise to get a large greenhouse and stick a wood-burning stove in it, so you can start planting earlier.

German Hard Necked Garlic:

© J.N. Urbanski – Usage prohibited without consent

Arugula:

© J.N. Urbanski – Usage prohibited without consent

Rhubarb:

© J.N. Urbanski – Usage prohibited without consent