Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts

Monday, February 11, 2019

This Weekend in The Garden.




Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

 Whose woods these are I think I know.
 His house is in the village though;
 He will not see me stopping here
 To watch his woods fill up with snow.

 My little horse must think it queer
 To stop without a farmhouse near
 Between the woods and frozen lake
 The darkest evening of the year.

 He gives his harness bells a shake
 To ask if there is some mistake.
 The only other sound’s the sweep
 Of easy wind and downy flake.

 The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
 But I have promises to keep,
 And miles to go before I sleep,
 And miles to go before I sleep.

Sunday, February 02, 2014

January temperatures. Some more lows predicted for early February

Jan was milder than Dec
This is prediction from WeatherUnderground.com.  It's been mild for most of Jan.  Many trees have small buds.  Some major freezing expected.
Sunday, Feb 2

46 | 30 °F
Partly Cloudy
20%

Monday, Feb 3
41 | 26 °F
Partly Cloudy
20%

Tuesday, Feb 4
33 | 18 °F
Partly Cloudy
10%

Wednesday, Feb 5
30 | 15 °F
Clear
0%

Thursday, Feb 6


32 | 16 °F

Clear 

0%
Friday, Feb 7
36 | 23 °F
Clear
0%
Saturday, Feb 8
33 | 28 °F
Overcast
20%
Sunday, Feb 9
41 | 35 °F
Ice Pellets
80%

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Fig Tree Progress Report. Pruning Freeze Kill. 1.21.14

Atreano Freeze-kill

Champagne Freeze-kill
Pruned off the freeze-kill from Atreano and Champagne.  It's obvious what's dead - the tops are soft, blackened, shriveled.

Further down, buds seem OK, round and firm.  The wood is firm, and the pith is white.  This wood looks alive.

It's not bad to prune the branches back, even without freeze-kill.  Makes the tree more bushy.  Might encourage brebas.  Not sure about that.

Still anxious to see if they grow.  I have more hope now than I did when we had that 8°F several days in one week.

There is also damage on other fig trees.  Smith looks especially concerning.  More, later

Fig Cuttings. Seedlings. Progress Report. 1.21.14

Carini fig start
 This is the plant start progress report for figs, peppers, and okra.

The little Carini start is growing nicely.  This was a low branch with a piece of root pictured previously.  I was concerned about whether that tree survived the hard freeze.  This start is alive.  So I think that means the tree is alive too.  At least the base.  So  I have a backup in case the tree died.  Also optimism that the tree didn't die.  Even if the top is frost killed, it might grow back more quickly from roots, than I could get from a new cutting.










Dominick Fig start

Plant starts under the light Jan 21 2014
 The Dominick cuttings are growing nicely.  This is the largest and fastest.  As in others, cuttings with no terminal bud grew faster than cuttings with a terminal bud.

















MacOol fig cutting


Red Portugal pepper seedlings
 The collection under lights.  Now on a 14-hour timer.














Baby Bubba Okra seedling
MacOol cutting.  From a generous fig forum member.  This was a small cutting.  Possibly the variety is less vigorous, as well.  Roots growing nicely.  The top is not growing yet.  I potted it today, with the top under the lights.  Maybe that will stimulate top growth.









Red Portugal pepper seedlings.  They look nice.  The Tabasco peppers had lower germination, only 2 and of those only one looks vigorous.  not as much as these.

















Okra seedlings.  They don't look happy about their situation.  This method might not work for them.  Will continue to care for them.  This is "Baby Bubba".

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Winter Images. 1.5.14

Beehive and Bird Feeders

Fig Trees Frosty Morning

All of the raised beds are built, filled, amended, weeded, and have a layer of compost.


Charlie needs the warm blanket, because arthritis.  Homework for me.  Baigou likes the fire.

Friday, December 06, 2013

About to have the coldest day in years.

According to the forecast, today's low will be 15 and tomorrow's low will be 12 

I would be concerned about the fig trees I nurtured through this year, but I'm too tired.  Whatever happens, happens.

I should be more concerned about faucets. 

The only other plants that I'm concerned about are the Buddleias, that I nurtured through their first year.  I read they can freeze down in the midwest, but then grow from the roots. 

Other plants could be affected.  May not know until Spring.

We'll see.

from weather.com http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/98663



December

Sun
  1
OBSERVED
Hi  57°F
Lo  48°F
Precip (in)
1.80in.
Mon
  2
OBSERVED
Hi  52°F
Lo  33°F
Precip (in)
0.02in.
Tue
  3
OBSERVED
Hi  43°F
Lo  25°F
Precip (in)
0.01in.
Wed
  4
OBSERVED
Hi  39°F
Lo  20°F
Precip (in)
0in.
Thu
  5
OBSERVED
Hi  33°F
Lo  16°F
Precip (in)
0in.
Fri
  Today
Hi  31°F
Lo  15°F
Precip
50 %

Sat
  7
Hi  29°F
Lo  12°F
Precip
0 %

  8
Hi  33°F
Lo  19°F
Precip
0 %

  9
Hi  38°F
Lo  27°F
Precip
10 %

  10
Hi  41°F
Lo  31°F
Precip
20 %

  11
Hi  43°F
Lo  35°F
Precip
100 %

  12
Hi  45°F
Lo  38°F
Precip
50 %

  13
Hi  45°F
Lo  35°F
Precip
60 %

  14
Hi  43°F
Lo  35°F
Precip
60 %

  15
Hi  43°F
Lo  36°F
Precip
60 %

  16
AVERAGES
Hi  45°F
Lo  32°F
RECORDS
Hi  57°F
Lo  10°F
  17
AVERAGES
Hi  45°F
Lo  32°F
RECORDS
Hi  59°F
Lo  6°F
  18
AVERAGES
Hi  45°F
Lo  32°F
RECORDS
Hi  60°F
Lo  0°F
  19
AVERAGES
Hi  45°F
Lo  32°F
RECORDS
Hi  60°F
Lo  3°F
  20
AVERAGES
Hi  45°F
Lo  32°F
RECORDS
Hi  61°F
Lo  11°F
  21
AVERAGES
Hi  45°F
Lo  32°F
RECORDS
Hi  61°F
Lo  3°F

Friday, December 25, 2009

Garden Log, Dec. 25 2009

Now we are past the solstice, so the days will start to lengthen. Even so, the coldest days are ahead of us. Today is bright and sunny, frost on the ground, so a new banner is added showing the frost on the candytuft.


View of my home office, from outside. It's great having a green place, with flowers blooming, and where I can look out to the birds in the feeder.

The Rhode Island Reds ('Rhodies') are laying an egg each day. So are the Australorps, which are too shy to photograph, and the Leghorn. We've been giving away a lot of eggs. They are one of the few things from the garden now, so it's great to have a reminder that the yard can still be productive in the Winter.

The Leghorn, having a "private moment" laying her daily egg.

A "Street chicken" during the trip to China in October. I don't know why, I just thought it was fun to take a photo.




The frosted Candytuft. Low, low maintenance- haven't done a thing with it in 6 years.

Helleborus starting to push up flower buds. It's the small things that tell me life continues, and give hope for Spring.

I didn't know if the Lycoris radiata would even survive. Here are the small, striped strap-like leaves. The hard freeze didn't seem to hurt them at all. This is the first time growing this bulb, so I still don't know what to expect. They look rugged, there, still green and standing up in the frozen leaf mulch.

The pond pump is broken, so the top froze over. You can see the koi and comets swimming around under the ice.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

More Snow! What is this - Buffalo? Snowing again today!

Worst blizzards that we have seen in this area, since 1960s. Well, I arrived here in the 80s so it's the worst that I have ever seen here. Workplace was in emergency mode last friday, and again mon through wed. I took the bus to work mon and tues, more hassle than I let people know, but I was not able to get the car out of the drive.

Front yard - The palm leaves are fully folded from snow. Which is better - leave it on (as insulation) or knock it off (to protect leaves from breakage). Nature decided for me - this happened while I was at work.

I've never seen it this deep in my yard before.

Ning is ambitious today, shoveliong the driveway.

It's snowing now as I type this! Back yard.

Better view of palm with snow covered leaves. We'll see how it looks this Spring!

Bamboo was flat to the ground, now springing back up again.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Winter. Schlumbergera. Homework.



The rest of today will be a homework day. This is made tolerable by the cold & snow outside, and my furry companion and some bright flowers inside.

Back yard. Later I'll publish a summary of the temperatures if I get a chance. Currently 27F on my thermometer in the grape arbor. The "zone denial' banana never made it into the house this year. Looks like it's a bit late, huh? Or was this "denial" of my frustration with the fact that it has never looked good, and since I DID manage to bring in the cannas, maybe I just didn't want to admit that leaving the banana outside was a passive-aggressive way to deal with it. Looks like a nice container for the cannas, or maybe potting up a fig next year?

Maybe the rhodie leaves should have been treated with antidessicant. We'll see this spring whether they perk up again.


Outside for a picture of the "big snow" December 19 2008

Possibly a bit obsessed with the Schlumbergera, but they allow the illusion of tropical lushness indoors. This pink one was added this year.

Also this mix. I'm not crazy about the two together, so used a sharpie to label the stems "W" and "R". The goal will be to pot up the white separately.

Strange, I've been thinking of starting a pot with all of the colors mixed together. Meanwhile not happy with the one combination that I do have.

Since they are no trouble to over-summer, a couple more should not be a burden.

Charlie is keeping me company while doing homework. He makes it all tolerable.