My Love/Hate Relationship With Mother Nature

Today's post might be shorter than most.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I must share with you...
I am despondent.

I awoke to a heavy frost yesterday morning.
(We're talking ice in the goat's water buckets...that's how cold it was.)
Apparently, we sustained 30 degrees for several hours.

I fear that my strawberries, blueberries, grapes and maybe the fruit trees
will all be rendered fruitless this year.

Even the vegetables that were covered took a hit.


All of our plants are showing evidence of cell death....even the cold tolerant plants.


I realize that in the grand scheme of life, this is nothing.
Truly.
This is not flood, famine, earthquake, tornado, hurricane.
And my house is not sinking into a hole in the earth.
No... this is small potatoes.

But, still, to me.... it is very sad to spend months tending to tiny plants and seedlings...
watching their progress...
and then have one icy night all but wipe them all away!

Luckily, I still have more in the greenhouse to plant.
So, I will be spending this whole week in the garden.
Planting.... planting.... planting.

With an occasional break for this....
(I can't tell you how nice it is to have a potty at the barn!)

and this....


and this...


and this....


And I will be wearing this...


You, too, could wear this if you like.
I ordered it from Ink Pixie (.com).
They have several designs available which you can personalize 
with the name of your farm
or mine.
They also have t-shirts, embroidered caps, etc.
(FYI....they run just a little small.)

So... time to pick my self up by my muck boot straps and get to work!!
Such is life on a farm.

Comments

Yes, it might seem like a small problem in the scheme of things, but every part of your heart and soul went into your garden. What a shame! Mother Nature can be cruel!
Jill said…
Sorry to hear that Bev. We had frost too, but I think everything is OK. My kiddos helped me cover the strawberries and peppers. I am hoping for some warmer weather.

jean said…
It's hard to believe frost in May. I'm sorry about the frost-bitten plants but, here's hoping for a great garden year for you.
Country Gal said…
That's a shame about your plants . Mother nature does throw in some curve balls . Hope all works out and you get a nice crop this year ! Lovely photos . I do like your sweat shirt with your farm logo on very nice ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !
jaz@octoberfarm said…
it seems like you got a lot colder than we did. so sad! thank goodness you have backup plants! i love your shirt!!!
Gone Country said…
So sorry! It is a little thing compared to the things you mentioned but still...

Great shirt and a cool idea! I'll have to remember that whenever we get our farm.

Happy planting (again!), lol...
Anke said…
So sorry Bev. :-( Mother Nature really is very fickle this year... I hope you still have lots to plant in your greenhouse and you won't loose all the fruit's you've been hoping for.
colleen said…
So much work you have done....but I know you will pull yourself up by your muck boot straps and continue on. These trials make us to be strong. Hang in there!! I only have flowers this year and I did get them covered and they look like they survived.
This N That said…
So sorry about your veggies...I know it may be "small potatoes" in the big scheme of things but very important to you..Glad you have some back up..This has been a very strange Spring indeed..Aren't the roots still viable and won't the plants come back?? No??
So sorry to hear about your plants...it is hard after we have babied them from tiny seedlings and then nature takes them away. Love your sweatshirt...I'll definitely have to get one.
Bee Haven Bev said…
time will tell....Some are most absolutely dead, dead, dead....like the cucumbers...and they were all covered.
Farming has never been easy because Mother Nature just doesn't tell anyone her plans. I only have two tomato plants in pots and I check them all the time. I cannot imagine how you feel with all that loss in your garden.
Unknown said…
Oh, so sorry, but it doesn't look too bad, I bet they all recover, if it doesn't come again...during the night to steal away the very breath/life of your plants...sorry I got carried away.

I really hate when this happens, and it has happened to me, as well. Hang in there and pull those boot straps up real high. Hugs.
Junebug said…
Yikes!! I think Mother Nature is a little mixed up this year. I'm gone for a few days visiting family and I'm worried about no water on the garden. Normally that isn't even a thought this time of the year. Maybe the roots of the cukes aren't dead and they will come back to life?? Just a thought! Oh the life of a gardener!!! Hugs!
tpals said…
This has been such a strange spring. Our last frost date is supposed to be today, but I'm being extra-cautious and have only planted the potatoes so far. We had a hard freeze over the weekend but yesterday was in the 90s. It's crazy.

You were wise to have back ups in the greenhouse. :)
Kris said…
Oh no!!!! I'm sorry! I hope some of it can be saved!!
LOVE the sweatshirt!!
xo Kris
Cindy said…
I'm so sorry about your plants. We also had a frost, but it didn't get quite that cold. I hope you are able to save some of it and replace from you greenhouse the rest. This has been a very strange spring, for sure!
Anonymous said…
So sorry to hear about your frost. We had record high temperatures yesterday. I love your shirt!
Susannah said…
Oh....I am so sorry. Alot of work and energy........You never know about Mother Nature! Too bad. Plant more and in the end it will be okay.

Susannah
Susan said…
Oh, Bev, that is so heart-breaking. This time of year, I never, ever trust the weather forecasts. It's a good thing, too. The past three nights they have been predicting a freeze. The first two nights it only went down to the high 30s. However, last night it was 27. I am always so tempted to plant early. Thank goodness you have plants in your greenhouse, but it is so unhappy to lose what you did. Thanks for the Ink Pixie link, BTW - wonderful place!
Anonymous said…
so sorry Beverly, Mother nature is just so fickle, we have had the same here in Ct. Just have my tomatoes in a green house for now,as I dont plant much anymore..

But you are prepared with a backup plan and it is all good.

Annie v.
I have had my garden beds demolished not once by 3 times by marauding chickens. Every fence I rebuilt, every precaution I took failed and they ate up all the seedlings I planted.
The last time I came home from work to find it all eaten and kicked through I threw up my hands, cried for a minute, and then went inside and had dark chocolate.
It's not famine, war, or natural disaster, but it IS months of planning, preparation and work for an instance of destruction.
Blah. :-(
Hugs to you lady. We just have to move on to the next, right?!?
Rebecca said…
OH no that is so frustrating! I have had that happen before. It's hard because you just never know how mother nature will be from year to year. Here in Utah we don't plant before May 15, which means today I planted. But last year, it was so warm we planted mid April and had no problems. That would not have been the case this year though...
Robyn said…
Oh Im so sorry to see this.. Everything was looking so good too.. I am sorry :(... Love the animals so so much and that sweatshirt, I LOVE it!!!
Lynne said…
So sorry about your frosty loss of plants .

I had some loss too, not like yours though. Although, I lost the Hibiscus I nursed through the winter . . . I had moved it outdoors a few weeks ago. Covered it at night when the temperatures got colder, plus when the nights frost was predicted. Still froze . . . it is gone.

Hard frost all over around here. Apple orchards have been affected . . . Some of the garden centers lost their hanging and bedding plants . . . Costly for me and others to start all over.

Good luck to you . . .
daisy g said…
Love your outhouse!!!