All the Dirt on Gardening

Frozen buds on the pear trees There is a unique beauty to snow scenes and since this is our last cold day for the season I wanted to record the event! The bunnies are always active in our yard and in the snow their footprints are autographs of their activity. Rabbit footprints on back patio Lavender under ice Of course there will be damage from the freezing temperatures that arrived after a period of temperatures in the 70s, 60s, 50s, etc. but we cannot change the weather. We can appreciate the beauty though. This morning it's 14 degrees out there and footprints in the snow make a little crunch sound from the ice that formed on the top layer. Re-purposed windows cold frames Want to make a bet on the lettuce survival under those cold frames made of re-purposed windows? OK you win. I'm confident that the White Russian Kale is still thriving under the one on the left but the loose leaf lettuce? Nah. Backyard swale The little percolation...

Well, it's here - the first freeze is coming this week. Time to bring in all the tender plants in pots and water the perennials so their roots don't freeze. Any plant that prefers a dry climate should not be watered because they dislike cold, wet soil. One example of that type of plant in my garden is lavender. Sage is another. I moved a couple dozen pots indoors after spraying them with Safer Soap. Otherwise bugs will come in with the plants. Photo: Anyone know what that bug is on my hand? It is crawling on the Asclepias with the Monarch butterfly caterpillars and Aphids. I took it off a couple of times and it found its way back to the Asclepias. There are all manner of seeds that need to planted between now and January because they need a shot of cold weather in order to germinate. The annuals in this category include poppies and larkspur. Many perennials, including shrubs and trees, require cold and wet to sprout through their tough seeds. This link at Alchemy-Works, in Elmi...