Winter Solstice week!

Quite warm here in the middle of Texas today. Not complaining, just wishing for rain. We have a good chance the next couple of days and really need the water.

hi all;
wowwwwwwwwwwww, i get to start my pansies. the soltice is my NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
littlepath

Am I confused? I thought winter solstice was the Longest night of the year, as opposed to summer solstice being the longest day of the year.

Anyway, passing winter solstice to me, means the daylight hours being on the increase. Being over on this side edge of the time zone, it stays dark a really long time now and I want to see daylight earlier.

Molly
:^))))

I am ready for more daylight hours!! I hate to wish my life away...but I love spring and summer!!

i vote for other-I dont like winter-the snow is pretty but the cold stinks!
I want SPRING!!!!

I bvoted other. This year winter solstice will be a first ever try at winter sowing. I will put my first seeds out on Thurs. Besides the first day of winter always brings us CLOSER to the first day of spring!!!!!!!!

Longer days top my list. I get up in the dark and get home when the sun is just setting, if the sun was out that day! Temps here have been above normal, and we have no snow on the ground, so it doesn't really feel like winter yet either.

We have had two months of winter already. I do like 4 seasons but prefer they be somewhat the same lenghth not winter the longest. It is about 18 degrees and there is about 4 or 5 inches of frozen snow on the ground.

high today is 75, no snow, no cold, sigh :P

It's so mild here... Took my family to the Atlanta Botanical garden on Sunday to ride the choo choo train they have and we didn't even need sweaters.

We had an extremely late hard frost and I actually had to cut things down to get my christmas decorations in beforehand.

I'm not able to pack on any extra "sweater weight" for lack of wearing sweaters.

Susan

I am ready for the days to start getting longer. Every year at this time, I start counting the days to the solstice. I am not a wiccan, I just miss the light. I like to be outside digging in my garden and I just detest the lack of sunshine. I certainly understand why the ancients celebrated the solstices.

I vote for longer days too!!! We've had rain and very cold nights in urban Los Angeles. It appears that this week will be mid 60s during the day with no rain, so I do my best to get out into the sun for as long as possible. SAD is a challenge for me too each winter. But, even so, I vote for more rain and cool temperatures. I want lots of fruit on my plum, nectarine and peach trees. :)

Yes, we LIKE more daylight, but our GARDENS!!! The plants in the Northern climes need a nice blanket of snow, and a good rest before spring!!! This insanely warm weather is forcing my spring bulbs to sprout, AND my tubers in storage to sprout, too! (it's hard to keep my cool storage area at 40 degrees when it's 50 outdoors!!!). Plus the freeze/thaw cycle will thrust hardy bulbs and perennials out of the ground where they will be damaged by the eventual cold.

I have SAD, too; a great investment is a membership to a tanning salon! Stop laughing!! Santa is bringing me a 3-month membership. 3 sessions of about 5 minutes each per week makes me feel like I've been to the beach! I don't stay so long that I develop a deep tan, just a hint of color. Sunshine is necessary to process vitamin D; so barring the real thing, it's the tanning beds for me! It is also inexpensive. The best antedote to Jan., Feb., and March in NE besides moving to Aruba!

For those who wouldn't be caught dead in a tanning bed, try switching as many light fixtures as possible to flourescent. Some energy companies will give the bulbs to you for free. You don't need special "full spectrum" bulbs; plain ol' shop lights do the trick. I have a ceiling full in my basement, and I tend my plant collection there all winter, just like spring!

yep...my priorities

1. longer days
2. some snow to protect my plantlets
3. REALLY looking forward to spring this year for brand new rose garden
4. will be playing with wintersowing for the first time to help pass the time

Just ME from NORTHERN ONTARIO where SNOW is NOT to be seen !!!

I have MUCH angst about Global Warming !!!!! In years past, we have had snowdrifts and banks that towered above us. It was UNUSUAL not to get up and have to shovel or blow/plow snow.
Now we traverse the space between house and garage in light jackets or sweatshirts so we can feed the deer and other wildlife.

Here's hoping the atmosphere above and around us, is not irrevocably ruined!!

Marilynne

Record temps here yesterday - 76 just south of Wash. DC. No sign of old man winter yet!

I can handle this weather for about a month1/2 and then I want it warmer and greener and want to plant something and watch it grow. Longer days AMEN.

Shortest day today. Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice is better. Warmer...

Next Christmas. We are on vacation over Christmas hols so Happy Christmas everybody!!!

Steve and Helen

Are you sure its winter. It feels more like spring!!

Dee :)

Same here, last year we had snow, this year its fog and rain, rain and more rain.

I crave MORE sunlight......I also have S.A.D.

However, I found the perfect cure for the 'winter time blues'..............Wintersowing!!! I celebrate the Winter Solstice by beginning to sow seeds on December 21st.

The 1st set of seeds: Are sown in rememberance of someone you knew & loved.
The 2nd set of seeds: Are seeds of life, plants that bear fruit or nectar for the birds.
The 3rd set of seeds: Are tree seeds, in honor of Mother Nature.
The 4th set of seeds: Are seeds for 'a leap of faith'. Plants that are one zone warmer than where you live. http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Solstice_Celebration.html

Please visit http://www.wintersown.org for all the information on how to wintersow. It's SO EASY! Don't forget to come over to the Wintersowing Forum here at Dave's Garden too!

I enjoy the Solstices, Equinox for their cultural/historical significance. The weather is totally unpredictable and irrelevant, like politics.

Just for anyone's information, the earliest sunset and latest sunrise do not occur on the same day as the longest night. http://www.larry.denenberg.com/earliest-sunset.html Where I live, the earliest sunset is around Dec. 5 and the latest sunrise is around Jan. 5.

We always loved the "January thaw" but haven't had a December freeze! I have little baby rose plants growing under the lights to keep my garden addiction going for awhile!

I concur with everyone. Tried living in LA but I was homesick for fall, winter and spring. Maybe, though, I wasn't aware of the subtler changes in seasons then. I have Seasonal Shopping Disorder!

xxx, Carrie

it is winter to me if the temps are below 70. i hate cold weather.

I should be living in a frost-free climate.

I chose "other" because my choice didn't have a box to click.

I love snow at Christmas time, and I love snow in the mountains during the entire winter season for the skiers, snowboarders, etc...

I just like safe roads here in town where I have to drive on. They do a pretty good job on the main roads (unless we get a bad winter storm) but the side roads to peoples houses can be very troublesome, if not scary.

I have to choose other: Winter for Christmas, and even on the ground during the winter, but roads need to be safe. I also have to insist on a full snow winter up on higher elevations for the skiers.

Spring can't get here fast enough. Today is only the first day of winter (officially anyway) and we've had some of the worst weather in the history of the Pacific Northwest!!!

Where is Greenbank? I'm in Spokane. Are you are on the West or East side? Please don't make me cry laughing. Perhaps Central?

Karrie, I'm in the West, on Whidbey Island.

sooooo glad the days will get longer and longer minute by minute. I too suffer from SAD
, terribly. Cant stand gloomy midwest winters. Spring cant get here soon enough for me. Flowerlou

Colorado got 3-4 FEET of winter dumped on us this Wednesday, so it's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas. Christmas gone ballistic. If anyone's missing a white Christmas, come pick it up here. Cash and carry.

It took me five hours to get home Wednesday, and now I'm snowed in. Luckily, I have supplies, and my heat, hot water, electricity, cable, etc. is working fine. But I couldn't get to work, and I won't be paid for the days I miss. At least here in Colorado, the sun is warm enough that it's beginning to significantly melt the snow already.

I have SAD majorly, so I'm just trying to survive until the days get long enough for me to be able to function halfway normally.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/679214/

Nuff said!

Here in PA we haven't seen even a snowflake of snow and it's been rather warm, so it just doesn't feel like winter - except for the short days - so having longer days would definitely be my second choice! :)

If winter in New England stays this warm I'll not need to move south to retire! I'm terriably misplaced in the cold.
My gardens are confused and I hope my dahlias will survive the inconsistent range of temperature on the attic steps.
The Winter Solstice is special to me; not only do the days gets longer but it is the day my husband I met.

lol Gardener...I well remember those cold New England days living in Acton,MA, four years ago. For a native Texas girl, short and dark cold days were tough to get thru, especially in March. Family were enjoying an already advanced Texas spring, while I was still holed up inside in MA, waiting to finally see some daffodils and hear some peepers. :) I love the sun too much for that...lol

Melanie

Opppppppps... somehow I posted on the wrong thread... Anyhow.. I'm just looking forward to longer days yall!

:)

Susan

This message was edited Dec 24, 2006 7:04 AM

Is it Spring yet?! Is it Spring yet?! Is it Spring yet?!