Really daft question I know but having a look through a few bits and they tend to give rough guides to sowing and harvesting such as sow mid to late summer or harvest early autumn.
Would I be okay to go with a general rule of thumb thats says Spring is End March to End June, Summer is End June to End Sept, Autumn is End Sept to End Dec and Winter End Dec to End March. (I know it will be a bit different depending on where you are in the country).
I'm trying to do a rough plan that will let me sow and harvest all year round without wasting too much space and time, a bit ambitious but it gives me something to do on my lunch break...
Cheers
Esre
Sounds good to me Esre. But then..I know naathing. ;D
according to joy larckom (grow your own vegetables);
dec = early winter
jan = mid winter
feb = late winter
march = early spring
april = mid spring
may = late spring
june = early summer
etc etc
its all reletive though of course what with glabal warming and location blah blah. ;D
heavens yes very relative! because of course you can also grow some things under cover or cloche earlier than just out in the open. I have a gardening calendar that generally advances things under cover by a month or so. next spring I will invest in a few tunnels so I can grow some more cold weather things earlier, such as peas, lettuce, carrots.
I also think that it is a good idea to let the soil rest in some places over the winter. but that's IMHO.
Of course the actual official seasons go with the solar equinoxes so normally summer starts June 21, autumn Sept 21, winter Dec 21, spring March 21, give or take a day.
Sarah, thank you I have puzzled, worked out,lost and puzzled over this one all my life.I shall print this XXX Bless yer heart XXJeannine
Joy's thing is great.
Always went on similar -
Mar-Apr-May
Jun-Jul-Aug
Sep-Oct-Nov
Dec-Jan-Feb
On the same theme;
When does a garden year begin?
I work on about week 40-42 (October) as it is then that I begin to prepare for the following year.
That is;
I start my winter digging,
I am transplanting (if necessary),
I work out my planting/sowing plan for the following year, adjusting same(if necessary) to suit what happened (or didn't happen) this year whilst the memories are fresh in my mind.
I get the seed catalogues out and order my seed.
As you see everything I have mentioned is for the following year so in my book this must mean it is the start of the garden year!!
What do you all think?
Springwatch was held at Peterborough on 10th June. Take this to a logical conclusion, 11th to 21st (Mid Summer day) is the first half of Summer. So the end of Summer must be must be 1st July. Summer is twenty days long.
Not sure that mother nature knows which season she is in anymore ;D
Thanks for all the replys everyone :)
I have noted down when the seasons are according to the equinox and I realise that the next couple of years will be trial and error due to location but when I ask my Dad he just 'knows' when things are ready or should go in but thats 65 odd years of experience and he never writes anything down ::)
TG for me the garden year will begin the minute the council let me loose ;) I think I will have a plot around September time so that should give me a extra month to prepare the ground if it's an unused plot.
Thanks again for all the input, it's good to know I'm on the right track :D
Esre
Agree, TG - & things like Garlic & Beans start going in.