Y'all! We are MAKING IT. Through winter I mean. For my part, I have been quite thoroughly enjoying the ever-increasing daylight during my drives home from work. It is the most tangible sign of the move towards Spring, even when the snow is in the forecast and the bottom is dropping out of the thermometer.… Continue reading February.
As I was scrolling Instagram a few weekends ago, I came across a post from Niki Jabbour showing beautiful greens she was pulling out of a cold frame in her Nova Scotia garden. In January. I showed it to my husband and started scrolling through her feed- full of envy and wonder. Then I saw… Continue reading Coming Around to Cold Frames
We made it everyone! It’s the shortest day of the year and things are quite literally only going to get brighter and sunnier from here! I'll be going quiet here through the remainder of the holidays, we'll be back in 2021. In the meantime, Happiest and Merriest of Christmases and New Years to all of… Continue reading Happy Winter Solstice!
Ask and ye shall receive! The new seed starting set up seems to be working like gangbusters. I already have better germination rates than I did last year (by far) and this is with things with spottier germination (and longer times 'til germination) than what I usually grow. I couldn't be more pleased! Here she… Continue reading Seedlings!
Here in Wisconsin we've entered what is truly the depths of winter. By mid February, everyone I know is crawling up the walls with cabin fever. Mother Nature becomes increasingly spiteful this time of year- the sun begins to shine brightly (sunglasses are as necessary now as they are in July), but the lack of… Continue reading The Depths of Winter.
When nice winter days arrive (we're talking anything above 32F, plus or minus sunshine or alternately super sunny and bitingly cold) I do like to hop out into the garden and do a bit of a walkabout. Its good to check in on the shrubs and hedges to look for any early signs of rodent… Continue reading Winter Walks
Alas, the sunshine isn't fake. But the brightness gives the illusion of warmth, which gives the impression that things might be melting out there. Its all lies. It is hella cold and nothing is melting. I'm fully aware that I sound like a broken record. There is more snow scheduled for this weekend. It'll push… Continue reading Fake Sunshine.
There are three days left in this month. This only means that there are three more days to add to the records. Per our local news: And more to come! It looks like another round of snow again on Tuesday. You can see how much more snow this latest round dropped. There's nary a foot… Continue reading One For the Record Books.
It is Saturday morning and it is snowing, yet again. Yesterday I got a cortisone shot into my shoulder joint (not as fun as it sounds) and on the way home, Rich and I drove past the small family owned seed and greenhouse in town. Its not more than a small metal building for the… Continue reading Snow, Snowy, Snowing.
Monty strikes again. In his December post, among talks of Christmas trees, he mentioned a way to assess the structure and bones of your garden. Here's what he said: TAKE PICTURES Take the time to go outside and photograph every aspect and angle of your garden. It does not matter how abandoned, neglected or empty… Continue reading Winter Tasks: Assessment
Yep. That was me. Begging for snow to a) insulate the plants from the bracing cold and b) make sure we had enough for a good, proper Spring melt. Whelp, I got what I asked for! 10 inches fell Tuesday with another 6-12 inches that is currently falling. It seems that winter isn't fully winter… Continue reading Did Someone Ask for Snow?
Hoo Boy! You want some moody weather? Come here to the Upper Midwest where today we were colder than Antarctica (it was -11F there, we had -14F!) and by the weekend we are slated to have +42F and rain followed yet again by single digits and snow. I know the old joke was always, "If… Continue reading A Capricious Winter.
You read that right! Melting snow and 40F (plus!) temps in Wisconsin in January. What madness is this? Surely this is a sign of a changing climate- our average high is usually 20ishF and lows around 4F. Consistently cold, sometimes downright bitter. And snowy. Always snowy. Yet here we are, a week into above freezing… Continue reading A January Thaw.
Dear readers, as I'm sitting at my desk looking out at a very frosty view, I found myself stymied about what to write when there is nothing going on in the garden. Sure, there will be seed catalogs and some planning to come and eventually some seed starting adventures, but those won't be weekly posts… Continue reading Winter Content.
I'm always of two minds come November. Half of me is dreading the short, sunless days and impending freeze (and the snow that comes with it), the other half is excited for the slow roll into the Holidays and the respite from work in the garden that lets me think and plan for the garden.… Continue reading November.
Box & Bay 