commonly , I love it when there ’s nothing I can do . That mean I can focus on my crossword puzzle or watchBuffy , the Vampire Slayerwithout my conscience ( or my married woman ) peck me about what I should be doing . But when there ’s increasingly wandering conditions — make that climate — I ca n’t just sit back and eat on popcorn with the self-assurance that our wedge will solve everything before the episode is over .

Here is what I am used to : In springiness , it rain down and the temperatures bit by bit climb up . I irrigate seedlings only on occasion , and I might have to protect some plants from a moth-eaten eve . In summertime , rain can be relatively scarce , but my rainwater barrel is full from spring , and electric storm turn over through on a regular basis enough to provide a bit of relief . In September , rains fall and temperature gradually fall , so I can separate plants and get a jump on spring . By Halloween , there has been a killing hoarfrost , but it is n’t so frigid you have to wear out a coat over your costume . It is n’t too cold-blooded to act football on Thanksgiving , but it is on Christmas . By February , I can think about pruning but can procrastinate for another calendar month or so .

of late , I do n’t make out what is going on . I ’m not surprised if I want to irrigate my entire garden in April and May but not even need to think about it in July and August . In evenfall , temperature may duck below freezing for a nighttime , then climb back into the upper thirty for the next eight workweek . How is a plant , or a gardener for that affair , supposed to fix for dormancy ? I have spent a recent Christmas Eve digging up and moving flora around the garden . That is when I should be eating elaborately decorated cookies on the couch while watching to see if Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius economize the day again this year .

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Bert Cregg offers us some thing we can do to help deal with what is happening to our mood and how we can keep from tally to the problem inGardening in a change Climate . Many of his mesmerism I already do : cut back on fertilizer and gas pedal tools , increasing the mulch , for example . I was n’t doing these things because of mood change , but knowing that they are help to minimise my impact on the environment pass on me a low sense of superbia . Sometimes it feels proficient to not do nothing .

Steve Aitken , editor

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