There’s really not much to say, on the garden front. We have a new snowstorm coming in about every other day. Over the weekend into Monday, we got about a foot of snow. Last night, we got a little more. It’s going up into the 40s today, and then another snowstorm Sunday into Monday.
The peace lily is slowly recovering. The indoor plants are thriving. The tulips, hyacinths, and narcissus out on the front porch are slowly coming up.
While the dreary days get a little tedious, I enjoy watching the snow fall during the storms, and watching the weather change over the mountains.
When I went to the grocery store earlier in the week, I came home with two small pots of primroses. One is all yellow. The other is red with yellow centers.
I love primroses. They were one of the first plants I bought when we moved to the Cape back in 2010. They’re such cheerful plants, and I love having them inside, blooming during the winter. They are a reminder that one day, it will be spring again, and things will bloom.
I repotted them almost immediately (and boy, were they pot-bound). I tucked them in the sunniest living room window, amongst the Christmas cacti. Hopefully, they will settle in and thrive.
This morning, when I opened my AMERICAN GARDENER magazine, I saw an ad for a primrose society! Who knew? Then I turned the page and saw an ad for a Hosta society! That doesn’t surprise me as much. When we lived on Cape, people were obsessive about Hostas. I got tired of them after a bit, and I was surprised how much I miss them here.
No, I’m not joining either one.
I did, however, a few months back, join the AMERICAN HORTICULTURE SOCIETY (which is why I’m getting the above-mentioned magazine). I thought it would be interesting to learn more about plants all over the country (and good research for my writing – the right plant in the right place and all that, textural detail). I also like that the membership card gives us access to gardens all over the country, including many in the Berkshires, Vermont, and NY. We’ll do day trips in nice weather, this spring and summer, and enjoy the botanical gardens in the area.
I see friends on social media already starting their seeds, under grow lights. I may try to do a setup like that in a year or two. This year, I haven’t even bought my seeds yet.
The bulbs on the porch are sticking their little heads up, especially the hyacinths. I think the hyacinths will be lovely this year. I’ve never grown hyacinths from bulbs before (I always bought some), so I’m excited. The lilac is getting new buds; I’m even more excited about that!
We’re supposed to get 3-6 inches of snow. Originally, the storm was supposed to start tonight, but the new alert says 11 AM. I can feel it coming in. Winter in New England!
Not much to say on the garden front. The weather’s been wildly fluctuating. The bulbs on the porch can’t decide if they want to come up or wait a little longer (I hope they do the latter).
I’m daydreaming with seed catalogues and taking care of the plants we have indoors. And I enjoy watching the mountains from the front and back windows, and being up so close to the clouds. The evergreen wreath from the front door is still fresh, so, once again, we stripped the ornaments and hung it on the livingroom door.
Rainy and getting colder; expected to switch over to snow
Celtic Tree Month of Birch
Happy New Year! May all your various gardens, physical and emotional, thrive this year.
The weather has been wacky, with temperatures fluctuating up and down. Hard on the body, not to mention the psyche.
I cut back a lot of the plants that died back or needed attention. The maidenhair fern needed a lot of work; it usually does, and I always forget. I also repotted it, as it had grown out of its previous pot, and it’s now much happier.
I’m slowly nursing the peace lily back to life. I’m cutting away dead sections, and letting the new green shoots grow, then cutting away more.
Out on the porch, more and more bulbs are poking little green shoots up. Although they didn’t come up fully by Christmas (thank goodness), they will probably be in good shape for Valentine’s Day.
The lilac dropped all its old leaves and has new shoots. I’m so excited for this plant, and might get another slip or two of lilac this year. It’s my favorite. It broke my heart to give away the lilacs I had nurtured for years on the Cape.
The peppermint and spearmint are still growing, and I will nurture them along as long as possible.
I made my seed chart for the year, comparing/contrasting the seed prices for the same or similar seeds across companies. Johnny’s Seeds in Maine (who I really like) are nearly double the price in some cases than some of the others, such as Botanical Interests. Since I have a limited seed budget, price has to factor in to my purchases.
I will start putting in orders this month, and maybe do a couple of orders in February. I’m not starting any vegetables this year; with the Farmers’ Market and lack of space I have, there’s no need. I’ll focus on flowers and herbs.
I still have to update the plant journal in the binder and move the pages from the annuals to the multi-year binder.
How are your plans coming for the next growing season?
Gratitude and Growth: A Garden Journal 