Spring Gardening

Here’s some plants you can grow in our unpredictable spring weather

BY ANN PARK

Broccoli and peas are cold tolerant and can handle spring temperatures, plus they are so good for you!

Spring in Utah is beautiful, and after a long winter most of us are excited to garden. Despite the unpredictable weather, there are many garden crops that are tolerant of cold spells. They can be planted early and harvested soon.

Lettuce – Here is North Ogden and Pleasant View, many varieties of lettuce can be started from seed as early as March. When the leaves are big enough, its time for fresh salad! Spinach – Grows quickly and loves cool weather. Rain, cold, and even a little snow will not kill your spinach. Plant early, and enjoy! When the weather heats up and the sun intensifies, the spinach will go to seed. When that happens, the plant is past its prime. Radishes – Crisp, spicy and delicious, radishes grow early and require cool weather. There are many varieties that do very well in our area. Peas – They will take a while to grow and mature, but the plants are cold tolerant and do well in spring temperatures. March is a great time to plant them, but if you forgot, you can plant them now. Broccoli – If you love broccoli, then get some plants started early. Broccoli doesn’t like the hot summer sun. Planting early also prevents insects from living on the plants. Kale - Another great cool-weather plant. And it’s very good for you. I know you’re all waiting for the tomatoes, beans, zucchini, peppers and melons, but please wait a little longer! May 15th is usually the average date to plant warm weather crops. Here in Utah, you don’t always know when the last cold snap will be. These warm weather plants will die a terrible death if the temperature drops below 32 degrees. If you plan early and the weather turns cold, you can cover delicate crops, or start them outside with some kind of protective cover such as Walls of Water, or even a recycled gallon milk jug with the bottom cut off.

Tomato and pepper plants can be started inside, (or purchased at the nursery). We keep ours indoors until the weather warms up, gradually get them used to outdoor temperatures, and then move them to the garden. Mmmmmmm… Can you almost taste the salsa?

There is nothing more satisfying than eating produce fresh from your own garden. Happy planting!

Military Spotlight: Saluting Our Service Members

By The Major Brent Taylor Foundation and Bill Bernard

Bill Bernard

Bill served on a ship of the U.S. Navy off the coast of North and South Vietnam in 1970. This was part of a larger operation of gunfire support of troops ashore in the War in Vietnam. His ship had officers of the South Vietnamese Navy aboard. While in South Vietnamese waters, his ship had to carefully avoid small craft, all flying the yellow-and-red flag of South Vietnam. On March 19, 1970, Bill’s ship, the USS Neches, was off the coast of South Vietnam, near the city of Hue. Bill was on the Neches’s bridge while the destroyer USS Orleck came alongside in a refueling operation. Both ships were underway in heavy seas. The object was to transfer fuel from one ship to the other via large hoses. Bill’s job was to contact the bridge of the Orleck via a sound-powered phone line that had been sent across the water. Suddenly, the command “emergency breakaway” was heard as the Orleck lost steering control from her bridge. The Orleck switched to an emergency backup procedure in the aft steering compartment, which was located low in the rear of the ship near the rudder. This procedure was not immediately successful; Bill grabbed something solid, and he watched as the Orleck smashed into the Neches below and aft of where he was standing. Sparks flew amid a deafening noise as metal contacted metal. The Orleck went to general quarters and set condition Zebra to close all watertight doors and hatches. The anchor of the Orleck was ripped off their ship and landed on the deck of the Neches. Fortunately, there was no fire in the midst of this refueling operation. The Orleck dropped astern and started to take on water. The Neches was damaged amidships but did not take on water. The flooding on the Orleck was controlled, and both ships made it back to the Philippines for repairs. Bill heard his captain say something to the effect of, “This was not the approved Navy way to start the day.” Some months later, the Neches stopped in Japan on her way back to San Francisco. Bill was able to get some time off to visit the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka Japan. The pavilion of the Soviet Union was massive. When Bill entered that pavilion, he spied a crowd of Japanese tourists crowded around an information desk. A very pretty young female Communist manned this desk. When she spied Bill in his Navy uniform, she reached under her desk and then handed some literature to him, while carefully avoiding the outreached hands of the Japanese tourists. This turned out to be literature - in English - extolling the virtues of Communism, especially for young adults like him. Bill was certainly not a fan of Communism, but that sure was a pretty young lady. Later, in civilian life, Bill served for twelve years as North Ogden City Treasurer. Bill and his wife Sherry have been married for 46 years and have two sons, Mike and Brian, and two grandchildren, Maddie and William. Bill Bernard during his service in the U.S. Navy. He served during Vietnam.

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