Spring is here, though some call it Second Winter or False Spring because as I type this, the Northerly winds are here, and they are cold! These winds are what usually kill a lot of our early fruit tree flowers. I know here on the farm, we rarely get plums from the plum trees out front where those Northerly winds hit them directly. Even so, some flowers and vegetables can be planted or started indoors to be transplanted a few weeks before your last frost date. Cold-hardy vegetables include broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, spinach, radishes, and in the flower category, calendula, sweet peas, bachelor buttons, violas, pansies, and snapdragons, to name a few. Do a little research or ask me at the market about each of these plants. Most seed packets, I am afraid, are just a “generic stamp” of how to plant almost anything, and that is far from the truth. Many plants don’t like to be transplanted, and direct seed only works. Some plants need what is called “stratification” where they have to get nice and cold before they will break their seed shell and come forth. There is a flower farmer in Virginia called Lisa Mason Ziegler, and she is what I call the Queen of Cool Flowers. Her books are informative and detailed. I cannot recommend her enough!! Eliot Coleman is the King of Vegetable growing, and his books have long been on our shelves.

At Moonstruck Farms, it is “Tulipmania,” with 1000s of tulips bursting forth into color and going to market, to customer pick-up locations, stores, and more!! In addition, daffodils, anemones, hyacinths, and more from the bulb family are bursting forth. The peonies are peaking out from the dirt, and the plum and peach trees are in flower, displaying their beauty for all to enjoy!! The lilacs are budding and will be in flower, I am sure, as soon as this cold snap passes. The new gladiolus and peonies just arrived and will also go into the ground. We will be succession planting our gladiolus so that we don’t have 500 all at once…just 100 at a time to create magnificent flower bundles. Just drop us a line if you need flowers for a special occasion, and we will let you know what is in season at the time.

The farmers market traffic is starting to come out of hibernation, and we are so glad to see you all!! Both the Wrightwood and Phelan Farmers Markets are open year-round, but the cold weather does seem to keep quite a few customers away, even though our farms are superb at supplying farm fresh produce year-round thanks to our beautiful Southern California climate just a short distance away down the hill. You can find the Phelan Farmers Market every Monday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan, and the Wrightwood Farmers Market is currently still indoors at the Wrightwood Community Center on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Wrightwood hours will change, and the market will move outside once Old Man Winter has gone to sleep for the season! See you all soon at the market!