It's now January, there's no snow here in NY, and the periwinkle's are in bloom in the front yard. The daffodils are about six inches high (leaves and stems, not blooms), and a cherry tree up the block has bloomed. I'm worried my giant magnolia is next, but in past years it has budded before the snow fell and the next year it bloomed.
What (if anything) are we to do? Will our gardens make it through til spring? It's absurdly mild and I'm told its due to el Nino, not global warming, but I think Al Gore had it right.
Arggh, where's winter?
I'm worried about the bugs come spring - without the freeze, most will survive the winter!
Central NY is forcasting 60 degrees today... I'm real worried about my asparagus popping up and then winter finally arriving (lake effect snow forcast for next week ... but then, right back into the upper 40's). I had put the asparagus to bed so nicely, covered with poop then hay ... I am just hoping they are still sleeping under there!
Anita I never thought about the bugs - wow!
Snowwhite - is it hard growing asparagus? I've thought about it (as I love it) and it's perennial that's a plus. Is it finicky and what kind of crop do you get? Any pests?
I live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Yesterday it was 63, today it will be 60 - this is absurd! My groundcover is blooming (I think it's called laminium) and my Elsa Spath clematis actually has flowers on it and is blooming. I planted tulips, Allium, and some other bulbs. What will happen to them if we never really have a "winter"? Will they bloom? Not sure which forum it was in but did you read about the zone changes because of the global warming? This is really scary stuff, don't you think?
brooklynbird re the asparagus ... this is my first year growing, it but from what I've read it is pretty particular to the conditions ... especially until it is well established. You are not supposed to harvest for the first three years ... so I guess it's for the patient gardener (not so sure that is me ... hee hee). My challenges could just be my location (soil is all shale, so digging the depth required was a serious chore). I fed them as recommended. They grow really nice ferns if you don't harvest. Here's a pic of the fern I saved when doing my research. There are tons of good sites if you are interested in reading up just google 'growing asparagus'.
Was just 62 degrees here! Yikes..some of my roses are starting to grow! My weeping redbud tree still looks nicely asleep thank goodness. Many plants dormancy governed by daylight hours.
66 degrees here in NH (maybe subtract a few for the sun)!!! I just went for a walk in a short-sleeved t-shirt and I was hot! I welcome a mild winter, but this is a little too mild. My poor bulbs don't know what to do.
68F here in my part of CT. I have the top down on my car. My daffodils are 2 to 3" and my crocus are about 1/4". Just out in the gardens doing a little clean up. I hope it cools down for part of the winter.
I had fresh green onions today out of my leaf pile. Threw in some spoiled onions to feed the worms for the winter and they sprouted up through the leaves. Cut off the sprouts and covered them back up hoping for more. The pansy's in my window boxes are still blooming their heart's out.
Lots of things will survive this Winter. Rodents, viruses, insects you name it. Keep a sharp eye out for unusual problems next season. There will be surprises.
In the neighborhood there are Periwinkle, Honeysuckle, Dandelions and Cherry trees in bloom. Mosquitoes, houseflies, daddy longlegs and other insects are out too.
Andy P
Here, it was nearly 60 again today. Tomorrow we are supposed to get snow showers then it will be heading back into the mid 60s here again by the weekend. This is unreal. Me and my wife cancelled our ski trip for this coming weekend because the mountain we were going to, which is way up in northern Vermont only has two trails open and doesn't have a natural base for the first time in the mountain's recorded history!
It's unreal!
25 here today, I hope it makes it to you soon,
I'll repeat from another thread, blooming daffodils, & forget-me-nots.
well, it's cold now. A bit too cold, but feels more like winter.
Yea, it looks like a couple of "normal" weeks coming up.
I don't like it but we need it.
Andy P
While it's closer to normal here, it's still above the average for January. No ice on my pond this morning but my blooming daffs do look miserable.
I think we've found it!!! It's been in the teen's for the last few days here. Don't like it much :-(
(Remember I'm from Califronia) I hung out clothes on the line to dry this morning and they froze solid. I ducked under the line and got whacked in the face with a frozen T-shirt! I heard a rumor that they will dry even if they are frozen. I will just wait until later this afternoon and take them down and put them in the dryer.
Yank, yes they dry even when frozen. Snow evaporates, too. lol
Really? I thought the ice would hold the water & when thawed it would still be wet.
Well it's kinda slow compared to June but if the humidity is low, they will dry even when frozen.
when I was first married I had a 2nd story apartment with one of those clotheslines out the window on a pulley. I got a washer when my son was born because we didn't have time or money to go to a laundromat. so I dried my clothes on that line winter & summer. if I needed something faster I would put it on a little rack in the bathtub
Well it finally arrived HERE. 10 degrees F. this morning, a little snow (maybe a half inch) on the 18th. RATS!
Tom
Winter's been here for several days too! I had to breakout my down jacket over the weekend. The wind chill on Saturday night was a killer!! Amazing how no acclimation can be a real pain!!!
Anita, if you think it was cold last Saturday wait until next Thursday/Friday comes along.
Andy P
I've been in my down coat inside the house for a month now!
LOL yankee!
Andy - I don't mind the cold too much - at least I can bundle up. I just can't stand driving when the winter weather hits!
I have my snow tires, lol.