I have been thinking a fair amount about sheltering our yard. The wind we have had so far this spring has been beyond normal, and destructive, but I suspect not that much more than the current annual average, which is still too much for someone like me, my animals, my yard, my house, and I feel the need to protect my space. (By my, I mean our...) I especially do not like strong wind. Ow my ears!
Just because other people, even people who live near you, who grow (or don't) the same things, tell you you cannot, or there is only one method, or such and such doesn't work, through trial and error, or even luck, you will find your best methods and what works in your garden. This could be applied to a few things I've been told so far...
On the other hand it doesn't mean don't listen to good advice. Or scientific facts. Which, I'd like to point out, are much more difficult to get, since they don't usually offer themselves out loud. Just take it all with a grain of salt. Think about it, give it a try, modified for you.
Work hard, take notes, and don't give up. Everyone who's trying, is in the same boat. Or rather their own tippy, leaky version. Find strength and motivation in that.
We have many problems, ideas and projects. Some are easy to fix, or realize, and others may have an underlying issue, or be too much work (as in more hours than in a day!) to have a point.
One thing that effects every last thing we, here at Blue Moon Farm, do or don't however, is the wind. There's just way too much of it. Alberta publishes shelter-belt plans, methods and ideas, and I think we must go in that direction. When you look around, they are not as common as I think they used to be, or designed properly. Like when it actually mattered your garden feed you all winter - when houses weren't so airtight. I see the old homesteads often enclosed in a square of green. New homes aren't. Hummm. Our own spot is very partially protected. Maybe the winds have changed their paths somewhat since those lines were planted. Maybe old windbreaks have been cut down? I don't know. Maybe global warming (Yeah, it's a thing. For real, by the way.) is changing the direction and velocity of the wind.
Now, where to find the energy to do all this? I've already dug a few hundred holes this Spring. Okay, Rori did help a bit :)
While I work up the energy, I'll review what didn't work, what might be a better variation, and keep track to try not to repeat the mistake...
Like: Starting Indoors - This is a lot of work. It worked rather well initially, but the hardening off was a disaster. I only had a small window in which to do it, or not. I chose to. Because not hardening off is generally a bad idea. The weather was a scorching and powerful wind. Clearly not helpful. I lost 80% of my perfectly happy plants. Peppers and tomatoes were the survivors. Interestingly, the two plants I'd generally need to start indoors, and consider temperamental.
On reflection: If, like this year, I'll only have a very slim window of opportunity with the weather, I'll save time and only start tomatoes and peppers. Everything else could be direct sowed, and when the wee sprout peeks out and sees the big bad wind, huffing and puffing, it'll grow with more precaution. Who ever said, "precaution to the wind". Also large bale stacks could be helpful for the transplants... Then let's look at the winners of direct sowing and try to make the best of these plants.
So there's me, trying to punch up some enthusiasm when the weather gets me down.
How do you recover from the blows of your efforts?
