The morning edition of GBH asked our audience questions about the weather and gardening, and meteorologist Dave Epstein graciously answered them. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Have a question about gardening or the weather for meteorologist Dave Epstein? Tweet @GrowingWisdom , email thewakeup@wgbh.org or 617-300-2008.
What would you like to plant in your garden this spring?
Epstein called Thursday morning with a copy of Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog and asked him for some things in the garden.
“There are a lot of new carrot and radish varieties,” he said. “You think of a radish, red on the outside and white on the inside. But there are so many. Now they have a different shape. Some are a little yellow inside, some a little pink. Carrots, that is.
It is also used in various traditional varieties, including carefully grown carrots cooked in a little oil and drizzled with maple syrup.
"I think they taste different, especially when you start tasting the older seeds that carry some of the traditional seeds," she said. "Some are a little earthy, some are a little sweet."
What's in store for this spring?
Long-range forecasts don't serve the same purpose as consumer-facing weather forecasting, Epstein said. It's still too early to tell what the weather will be like on any given day or week this spring, but forecasters could predict more troubling trends.
"However, if you look at the long-term 90-day forecast covering March, April and May, overall it looks warmer than average," Epstein said. "No wonder the weather is getting warmer."
Last summer's drought doesn't appear to be returning to the region, at least not until spring, he said.
"I'm sure we won't get the little rain we saw last year in the spring and summer because the picture has changed," Epstein said. “We left La Niña, now we're heading to El Niño. So I think it will be wetter."
But that doesn't mean the rain will continue; He said there is less chance of drought.
What tips for novice gardeners to do this spring?
Make sure your plants are getting enough light, Epstein says.
"You really want to have at least four hours total," she said. "If it's 11-3 in the morning, you can go outside, but you need as much sun as possible."
It is also important: high-quality land, there is.
"Soil is the lifeblood of all these plants," Epstein said. “If you are building a container garden, you need land to grow vegetables. It is organic and contains few chemicals. If it's in the ground, I'd say you want to add some compost, which doesn't have to be expensive. You have to slide it right. And still lots of sun.
Some harvesting tips: Radishes are light and filling, Epstein said. Lettuce, Asian greens like bok choy and kale are also relatively simple, she says.
"Put it in the pot with the tomatoes," she said. “Even if you don't have an in-ground garden, just a container with some tomatoes. If there's drainage, it could be one of those big buckets you can buy at department stores.
We have raspberry plants and pressure treated hardwood floors. Is it safe to eat berries?
Epstein does well with raspberries growing near pallets, but he advises against planting crops in containers made from pressure-treated wood.
"I'm not worried about it because the stage is so close," he said. I wouldn't build a raised bed with pressure treated wood as I think some chemicals can leach out. But I don't worry about raspberries.
Where can you go to see beautiful flowers in the Boston area?
"One of the best things about the city is that there's a lot of open space," Epstein said. "I think it's easy to go to Boston Common and walk around Boston to see those spring flowers."
Epstein's other favorites include the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's Elm Bank Garden, which opens April 1; Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge with its beautiful flowering trees; Arnold Arboretum New England Botanical Garden, located on Jamaica Plain and Boylston Tower.
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