Spring Fever: A Diagnosis With a Cure

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“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” — Mark Twain

Ah yes, good ol’ Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) knew a thing or two about the human condition—and he clearly spent time around gardeners. If ever there were a season for emotional whiplash, it’s spring. One minute we’re swooning over daffodils and blue skies, the next we’re sprinting to cover petunias from a rogue frost, mumbling unkind things about Mother Nature.

It’s that glorious, maddening moment of the year when the days are longer, but never quite long enough. There’s mulch to be spread, weeds to be pulled, plans to be plotted, and of course—plants to be planted. Time, however, remains a stingy little thing, doling itself out in miserly teaspoons, just when we need gallons.

Yes, April 10th is here—the mystical “average last frost date” for our neck of the woods. Note that word: average. Not “guaranteed,” not “written in stone,” and certainly not “go ahead and plant your tender annuals without a care.” No, friends, this is nature’s version of a maybe. As in, maybe it won’t frost again… and maybe a week without rainfall.

So go ahead, start your spring planting if you must. But do so like a seasoned gardener: with a shovel in one hand and a frost cloth in the other. Plant with purpose. Plant with passion. But most of all, plant with a Plan B.

Because spring fever is real—the only known treatment is dirt under your nails and a good sense of humor. That’s why we encourage gardening humor along with your plant questions, Saturday mornings, live at 8 AM; (delayed broadcast, any time) on “Gardening Inside Out”. Listen to our Podcast anytime! Follow and contact us:  Facebook.  YouTube.  Instagram.

David Bates