It snowed already here in Connecticut!
On October 15th it snowed here in Stamford, CT (zone 6). OK, it didn’t look quite like this photo but it definitely snowed. While it’s early for snow here, it made me realize the end of the growing season is right around the corner.
The growing season is bookmarked by two very important dates - the last frost date and the first frost date. The problem with these dates is they can vary widely from year to year. Here in coastal Connecticut, the CT DEP says the average first frost date is October 19th. But other sources put our first frost date as early as October 2nd.
In addition to signaling the end of the typical growing season, the first frost also signals the start of the spring-bulb planting season. Most bulbs like to be planted in soil that is about 55 degrees. Bulbs need cool soil to set roots before the winter arrives. Once you get your first frost, you have about eight weeks after the first frost to get our spring-flowering bulbs in the ground. So here in Stamford, CT, we have until about mid-December to plant spring-flowering bulbs.
So while the first frost can be a little bittersweet, it really is a harbinger of the winter lull in my garden but also the first indication that spring really is just around the corner. And with spring comes the anticipation of another growing season.
Most open areas near my south-central CT location had a light frost that did in tender annuals. In my relatively protected gardens, many tender annuals have yet to get zapped – but their not looking very happy. I always plan for first frost from the beginning of October … just in case. One usually hits here by Halloween.
We had a light frost too about a week ago that killed many tender annuals. But the weather has been mild since then. At least the frost has helped the autumn color light up my garden. I was just thinking today that in many respects my garden has more ‘punch’ for a few weeks in the fall than it does all summer long.