We had some near to or at 50° F temps last week, and the snow was well on its way downwards watering the yard. As I type this, snow is falling outside, and starting to white the ground once again. These "flurries" look a wee bit heavier to me than flurries tend to be. Nights have still been freezing, and there's no sun currently. I guess I'll find out when I wake up whether it sticks around or not.
Enthusiastic at this (the snow melting at the time), I dragged Sean outside and we did a walk around of the property, going over different things we both had and hadn't decided on to see how we still felt about what after our first full winter here. Sean pestered me about what we were doing with all this dead wood all over, and I demurred and asked "Well, if you don't like so many piles, where should we let it rot?" He never did give me an answer. Which is fine, because I already know what I'll be doing with them. I'm going to try a few hugelkultur mounds this year.
I am worried about the Oriental Bittersweet having a come back. I didn't realize until it was too late that I never did finish stripping the berries off the vines I had been working on near the compost pile (from the vines we clipped and pulled out of Shirley's trees). So in addition to trying to get rid of the last of the stems from last year, I may have new sprouts of it this year.
Although everything looks like a mess to me again, I know that what got done last year will mean less work this year. I did notice when we were in the SW corner that last year's bits that were hiding more mechanicals have now sunk a bit so more is exposed again. So more work to do there for certain.
I did realize that we not only have a lot of oak saplings, but a lot of badly broken off older saplings that someone without pruners must have tried to kill off. The property line along the rock wall gets really shifty that far back. We're still not completely certain where we stop and they end to the gradual curve the wall takes going southwest.
We did not move the crab apple, which I might have mentioned last year. There is quite a bit of lichen on it--even more branches than before. But it also has some fairly low side shoots that are near to 8", so I no longer worry about really deep pruning to the point of mostly loped off the two main branched trunk top. We both decided we're ok if it doesn't fruit for a few years, though I have read stories where the year after transplant, they fruit like crazy, then nothing for a year or two.
One thing that was a sheer delight to see was all the additional moss peeking out from the multitude of oak leaves that finally fell down long after I'd stopped raking. I was actually planning to spend some time gathering the oak leaves today, but not if the snow keeps going as strong as it is.
I also need to remember which berry bushes to cut back or not as to if the canes fruited or not last year. I still get them confused. And, no, Garden Book is not going well, that came to a bit of a standstill as well. Shoobie seems to have weather things well, so I expect he'll keep growing this year and we'll have even more tasty blueberries.
I did do an awful lot of reading of books and online while I was sick. Enough that we drastically changed our plan for this year, and I've been fiddling with sketches towards a beginner food forest tied in to the other features we've been considering here. Time will tell how it pans out.
I read back a few posts to try to recall what I'd talked about last. One thing that stuck out was my mentioning trying to fit in a wheelbarrow purchase in the budget. The good news is that one family we got some free stuff from as they were moving cross country had a wheelbarrow they were more than happy to part with, as well as a potted tree--the name of which I can't recall, but it's not a native. I was thrilled with both unexpected items *as well as others, though not garden related), as we had originally responded to an ad for free furniture. The wheelbarrow is a nice one too. We really have been lucky with some of our CL finds.
The tree, though...he had suggested we garage it since he wasn't sure it would be ok exposed outside still in the pot. Sadly, I totally forgot about it until about a month ago. I threw a handful of snow in the pot in case that would help somehow, but hopefully it was dormant enough that it survived. Time will tell. I am still trying really hard to stick to natives, but he just didn't think it would make the drive and when I later read up on it, it's something either that will be great, or will take over our yard if not kept in check. The takeover, though, may happen long after we are dead and gone.
Ah. I just remembered I did bookmark the tree in my "at Beebe" garden folder:
Zelkova_serrata The pic from wiki of one many, many, many moons old in Japan:
From what I've read about them, they're like a giant bonsai to me in how shape-able they are. If it survives, we'll see what happens. It could turn into bonzilla for all I know. I did read that the wood from them is much loved by woodworkers, though it'd be years before I might cultivate any big enough to use.
I did manage to at least organize what bulbs and pips I had stored in the cellar as to which month what needs to get planted. Some of them have been waiting since NJ, so anything that grows will be a celebration.
Oh, and all the herbs that froze on our porch that I brought inside and tried to revive? Dead as doornails.
We did buy one African violet for indoors. I, not having had a houseplant in years, promptly forgot we bought it because we put it in the parlor, and all the flowers died. I pinched them back, and have been watering it regularly. I plan to repot it sometime soonish. It seems to be doing fine, but no flowers yet since the die back. I may need to feed it a bit to encourage if nothing within a month or so. I always wanted one because my dad's mom always had one, and seeing it makes me think of her, which is exactly what I wanted to happen. At least I didn't kill it straightaway.
I really need to get my butt in bed and get some sleep. Last thing, I did start a
garden focused blog finally, but right now it's just a one page teaser. As I've said elsewhere, if I post to it once a month this year, I'll be thrilled.
Still snowing...no accumulation expected my left foot!