The old saying predicts that April showers will bring May flowers, but the winter we've had threatens to push that timetable back.
As the chilly weather clings on, gardeners might be hesitant to plant vegetable and flower seeds in the cold, hard ground. Still, says greenhouse owner Corina Clemente, it's possible to get a head start on your planting by doing it indoors.
Clemente manages the Northfield-based Mazza's Country Farm Market and International Coffee House, which sells different coffee roasts, pastries, desserts, soups and salads in addition to what it grows in its greenhouses. Behind the small red establishment sit six greenhouses filled with everything from cole crops such as broccoli, kale and cauliflower to herbs, bulbs, perennial plants and Mazza's greenhouse tomatoes.
Clemente said she usually waits for the first new moon of spring, or by Mother's Day, to start planting outside. Her tomatoes, however, stay in the greenhouses so they are ready for sale before Memorial Day. Jersey tomatoes that grow in fields and outdoor gardens may not be ready to eat until June or later.
