Very early Signs of Spring

It is only the first week of January, but I have always felt that Spring should begin right after the holidays. Apparently, some of my garden agrees with me because I am already seeing signs of growth.

The roses directly beneath my bathroom windows looked suspicious to me. I could swear that I was seeing buds, but I knew that it was way too early. When I went outside to check, there were teeny tiny buds growing all over the place. The forsythia is also showing signs of growth. Even my maple has the beginnings of buds.

I know that it really is much too soon for anything to be growing in this zone, but this was such a pick me up. The winter so far has been pretty moderate. We have had a few days in the thirties, but we have also had quite a few days in the high fifties/low sixties, like today.

I'm thinking that I may just throw some alfafa around the garden so that when the proper growing time comes, the soil will be up to snuff.

Getting some warm temps up here, can go out without a coat for a short period. Here is a picture of my watergarden I took today.

I was out today looking around and thinking those that still have bulbs to plant wouldn't have any trouble getting them in the ground today. Chris nice to see your winter water garden, my small birdbath pond is running today. I keep a heater in the bottom but turn off the circulator for the top once it starts to freeze. With these temps I've turned it back on. I picked up two of these little Arum this summer and although they haven't grown much they are very pretty. I'm surprised at how nice they still look. Wonder what they will do next year.

I often agree, spring should begin right after the holidays. But then, I would NEVER clean house or do any hobby besides garden. (And what would be bad about that??)
My kids used to watch a nature show, Nature Nut, made in Canada. I liked it so much. I remember one show as the Seasons According to Nature. He talked about all the different signs of seasons. I can't really recreate for you, but the length of the seasons was very different when you looked at them from the nature perspective.
Its s'posed to be warm here tomorrow. I'll see what I can find.
Maybe one is that I see gosh durn henbit sprouting in way too many places..grr..

I like the way you think, Sallyg! Come to think of it, there has been a definite link between rainy days and my housework getting done.

Our daffs are up quite a bit...about 4 inches the last time I checked. Supposed to be 70 here by Tuesday, and sad to say, I still haven't planted those bulbs! This mild weather sure is a tease, and the seed cats aren't helping a bit...

HollyAnn, your arum looks pretty good. Mine are up but just aren't doing much...perhaps the drought has them conserving energy?

Pennefeather, when you say "just throw some alfafa around the garden," do you mean literally? Do you use that on your turf as well?

I was thinking the same - going outside today in just a t-shirt -- I'm sure spring is still far off though.

Plantmover,

I was actually going to throw some around the forsythias, hydrangeas, azeleas, and the flowering quince (I'm not sure if that last one is correct). I figured that since it isn't a fertilizer, it isn't going to cause the plants to begin to grow too early, but it will help the soil when it breaks down. I bought some back in the early fall. Unfortunately, when I found the alfalfa, they didn't have the pellets, just cubes. I think that pellets would be easier to work with.

I thought it was a great idea, but after I spent half hour to forty five minutes playing with the dog outside I thought it was a better idea to lay on the couch and admire my garden! This is a picture of Champ at Christmas.

awww....I'm sure Champ was a happy dog! Thanks for the alfalfa info.

I am also finding a dog not to be conducive to efficient gardening. Poor wrightie will suffer the same fate soon enough. (suffer, ha ha)
I found nothing sprouting at all. what a difference a zone makes

We used to have a Jack Russell/rat terrior mix--I called her a jack-rat terror--and that dog was so entertaining. She made us work to keep up with her, but she sure made up for it in personality.

It's bittersweet having stuff sprout right now 'cause we haven't seen the last of old man winter. 70 today but snow forcasted for Sunday. Don't know how this fluctuating weather might affect blossoms; even the tulips are coming up. What can ya do except enjoy the sunny days while we have them, right?!

Plantmover,

I went to Virginia Beach for the first time ever over the Christmas Holidays. I couldn't believe how much warmer it was, and it is only a few hours away. In fact, my told my husband today that we should consider moving there. When he asked why, I pointed out that it was warmer and in a different zone. He is such a smart alec. He immediately caught on and said, "Oh, you mean that you could do more gardening there?"

lol... sounds like he's got the gardener in you all figured out. :)

Sally, I am going to try again to take some pictures of the rose buds after work today. I tried this morning, but I am having a hard time getting my camera to focus on them. I'm not sure if it is because of the size, but the pictures keep coming out of focus.

In this picture the camera isn't focusing on the large bud in the center right, but if you look closely, you can see some buds to the left as well.

OH! I see lots of pink nubs! I notice some fish activity in my watergarden this morning but we are in for a drop in temp before this week is out. This is just a sneek preview.

yup. that sure looks like active sprouting to me I accidentally beheaded a couple of in- ground daff sprouts yesterday, moving a little self sown holly . But that doesn't count does it?.
I did find blue eyed grass looking fresh, and iris leaves growing. Of course,..they're related.

I have had plans to clean up my Garden (again!) during these warm days, but instead, I have been trying to insulate every crack and cranny in my club basement level, which sits 2/3 underground and is quite cool. I don't go down there a lot--but it is part of the main house space.
After a lot of hunting, found some compressed felt carper padding at "Carpet Land". She had some scraps from a wrong cutting, so I got a 3'x6' piece for $5. Now I have spent 2 days cutting it in 3/4" strips (NOT easy!) and stuffing them in the space between the floor and the molding with a big screwdriver. Did this all along the outside walls of 2 big rooms downstairs. All in all- about 60' worth.
Also put foam gaskets under every outlet plate on the outside walls and also re-did 2 windows with that plastic and hair dryer stuff.
Was listening to a bunch of old Hi-Fi records the whole time. Boy! I still love all that music! I have 4 records from the Kingston Trio with all those great songs. Singing along like a fool and working away. Then I played some of my old German songs (NO! I am NOT German!!!), but I sure love their music. You know what? I still remembered all the words and every bit of the tunes. I guess the brain records everything and files it away and it just comes back in a flash! it is like a computer--click on "search"--and there it is!

Anyway--I never got to raking leaves and cleaning up my garden. There's plenty of time for that in the months to come. The weather-proofing is more a priority right now. Trying to make a dent in my utility bill. I have a big house and, even though I keep my thermostat really low (64*-65* during the day and 62* at night), it still costs me about $200-$215/month. I am on the budget plan, and have a lot of credit to my account by now because of my frugality.

OH! I have SO MANY seeds collected! Been wanting to list them all under a "Haves" file on DG. Gotta get around to it! Jill is having the Groundhog Day seed swap. Sally! Are you going? Will ride with you again, if you are....

I really, really will curtail whatever seeds I want to grow this year. Only a few of each! Last year was ridiculous......Sure had a lot to take to the plant swap!

Still no hours at work! I have worked all of 18 hours since December 1st. ALL part timers are without hours! Bummer! Applied for unemployment yesterday, and I will be getting about $150/week (minus taxes). Better than nothing!
I have to admit---I really like being home!!!!! Some hard decisions to make soon......

Gita

just spotted some new daffodil growth today along a south facing privacy fence. aaaaahhhhhh~~~~~~~~
compost cooking like mad...
amaryllis in my coldframe finally froze all its leaves.

Gosh, just found this thread and read thru. I feel badly that I haven't been outside for a while and I do not know what is going on. It is too easy to stay inside where it is warm instead of going outside where I know I will be chilled.

I cannot remember ever purchasing Arum, I have it in two different spots in my back yard gardens. How could that happen? Maybe mixed with something else I planted? Nursery mistake. I never knew what it was before Holly showed it here. Oh well.

I am not sure what today's temperatures will be, but I feel guilty enough now for neglecting at least inspecting my yard, that I might do a walk about late morning or early afternoon when it will be at its warmest today. Will report if there is anything green wise to report.

Ruby

The main problem with winter time is that it forces you to reevaluate your garden. This is the one time of year that I can actually see the outline of my beds, since the flowers always spill over the edges. After taking a walk around the garden today, I have come to one conclusion : I NEED TO EXPAND MY BEDS!

Last year, I doubled the width of the narrow flower paths that surround the walkway, as well as doubled the size of the island. IT STILL ISN'T ENOUGH! There are so many new flowers that I want to introduce to my garden, and others that I want to expand. I'm not sure if I am going to try to do the lasagna method since I find when I plant in those areas right away, the grass immediately around the new plants still thrives. I wonder if it is too late to just outline a new bed now, and plant in April.

The winter has been so mild, but February is always when it seems to get colder. I have even more buds on my roses, and of course it is way too early. I have bunch of flowers that I want to transplant because they are not in good spots or they need to be divided.

I have some of my seeds, but I am still waiting for a good amount to arrive in the mail. I think that I am going into gardening withdrawal. I miss the butterflies, hummingbirds, and yellow finches.

Oh, what a pretty flower bed. I expanded two of my flower beds this fall and am expecting to expand a few more and will add a tropical bed for the summer. I'm still not sure where I will put it.

Pennefeather,

I love your picture! There is one plant in it that I want to definitely have this year in my big pot that I have in a small, circular flower bed on the front lawn of my house (in a 6' diam. bed), and that is the red Fountain Grass.

I saw a picture on DG last year of someone's Container Gardening. It was in a Hyperlink, I think....(aha! Made a couplet!). In this pot--in the center--was the red Fountain grass, then white/green Caladiums, then some kind of a trailing flower below them--in deep reds or blues (I can't remember) and then the white and green variegated ivy spilling out at the bottom. That has SO stuck in my mind! Hey!! How many of you have used the "Persian Shield" plant in your containers???? WHAT a beauty!!!!!

Last year, as Summer vaned, I went all around my yard--notebook in hand--and made notes of what I wanted and did not want any more. What worked OK--and what did not.
I tend to overbuy plants, just b/c they look so wonderful at the Nursery. Then it is more like--WHERE can I put this or that, rather than having a plan and THEN shopping. Somehow, I don't think this will ever happen....

I have NO options of expanding my beds--Nada! They are what they are and where they are! All edged in landscape timbers, 3 high, many of which are rotting away and need to be replaced. Have them bought--just NOT anticipating this job!

Today (Saturday) is fairly mild. I too walked around my garden The bulbs are starting to peak out. All the tops of dead perennials need to be cut off. Keeping an eagle-eye on my Clematis so I can prune them as soon as I see where the new growth is coming from. Need to spray my Roses with Lime Sulphur (as soon as the temps stay a bit higher) to help ward off Blackspot later. Need to rake and rake all the leaves that have blown into my yard from all over. MINE all got raked! Then again, I say----it is good protection from the freezing cold, which I am sure we are still going to get. Have to remind myself that it is ONLY the beginning of February!!!!!!

My gardening mind is churning, though. Have to start thinking about getting things ready for my seed-growing indoors. Geez! How i wish I had room somewhere for a shelf that would hold 4' shop lights!!!!! Click my heels and wish....wish.....wish.....Been eying an area in my bedroom.....Bright, southern exposure window--------heat vent on the floor, just below it------No one to walk in and say it looks ugly! Getting motivated here......BUT--and there is always a "but"--I may not be able to get into the bathroom I shower in as the door would open into the shelving. ...I DO have other bathroom options.....
Hate putting out the $$$ for something that will only be used for a couple of months of the year! Hey--2-4' shop lights can run me $80 some dollars! And a shelf--another $60! Besides--it is something I will never use for anything else again. WHERE do I put it off-season?
Do they make those wire shelves for 24" light sets???

I know we all have our "juices" running this time of year. PATIENCE is the password for now! P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E......................

Pennefeather--have you checked my list of "haves"? Maybe I could enrich your garden with some new, beautiful flowers. Are you planning to come to Jill's Seed Swap/Tea?
I will be there and so will many others from this area. Check out the Thread on that topic--right here on M.A.G. Forum.

Dreaming of Spring......Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....
Gita

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!

Just clicked on EVERY name in this Thread, and NO ONE has their pictures posted under their names!!!!! How come??? I always like to see WHO I am talking to.....

PLEASE!!!!!! Post your pictures! Just do it! You don't have to look glamorous! Shovel in hand--dirt all over your jeans-- will be just wonderful!

Gita

Gita,

One day I will make it to a swap, but I can't make this one. Its hard because I have two young kids - a four year old, and an eleven year old who acts like she's four. They also have their own schedules of sporting events and parties that I end up taking them to.

I am going to check your list, and I will get back to you if there is anything that looks promising. I'm looking for a picture to post for you! These are the brats.

AH, Thelma!!!

You have such beautiful children!!!! Just beautiful!!!!! Now, how about Mama???

Gita