I don't know,it's been pretty mild lately,after the winter blast! Phil

I wish!

(But, I hope my hosta don't come up until the end of February.)

bk

While there are no hosta pips showing yet, I have plenty of Iris popping up, the little reticulata's should be in flower in about 3 weeks. Hellebores are up-n-at it and Snowdrops are breaking as well.

Pieter

It feels like spring in Minnesota. It was 40 today which is 80 degrees warmer than last week. I actually ran errands today in a sweatshirt and jeans - no coat.

Teresa

I have this little project to extradite all rabbits which ate off hosta pips the last springs. So far I am only catching squirrels.

Bernd, I actually saw a squirrel eat on a hosta one day. Never before, or since.

bk

This is what it looks like

I wish I'd been able to get a pic of it, but last summer after an afternoon downpour I saw a squirrel drinking from a leaf on 'Big Daddy'. I've never seen them really mess with any plants, though.

Don B.

I have seen them eat camelia buds around here even tho there is food galore (nuts). They don't eat my hostas, (so far) they just dig holes in the pots.

-Babka

I have several hostas poking their fat noses up to see what the weather is like.....mainly plantagineas. Only a week past sub-zero temps, and two days of mild weather, and it isn't even mid January yet. I piled leaves on top of them in hopes of slowing them down a bit. It isn't time yet! We're due for some more cold weather in a few days. Maybe that will convince 'em.

Sandy

It seems that squirrels stick to their territories, though there might be some longdistant wanderers. Rabbits must be sleeping. Last years someone ate all the eyes of a large hosta 'Elisabeth' and early leaves from others, but 'Elisabeth' came right back from dormant buds.
Bernd

This post was edited by berndnyz5 on Tue, Jan 14, 14 at 9:23

We are in the middle of a triangle of major road expansions. A mile to the east, a mile to the west and four miles south of us they are demolishing massive amount of woods for new roads. My husband saw a herd of over 25 deer in a field close to us. I'm not having nightmares yet, but I am wondering if I could put a deer blind in my new garden expansion and call it yard art.
Kathy

50 degrees here today, but we're having the kinds of winds that are pulling mature trees out of the ground. Just helped my neighbor chainsaw one of his smaller cottonwood trees (still, about 30 feet tall) to pieces, wind knocked it down this morning...Firewood for everyone!!

Missing spring here as well!

Don B.

What color is it?

bk

Not spring here...we have at least 3 more nights of below freezing temps this coming week. I think it must be nearing springtime though, because we are swamped with wild birds at the feeders, the goldfinches are beginning to molt into some gold feathers, and guess what else?

The bluebirds have returned to multiple trips into their nest box in my hosta garden. Of course, I have out some mealy worms for the insect eaters, and such. One bluebird woke me up yesterday by flying and scratching against the east window in the bedroom. They always hit the spider egg sacks secured to the woodwork there. A little protein. Our bird population is greater than any time in the past. Of course, they may spread the word that food is available 24/7 at our house. I'll be watching for the robins to migrate through as well, since they spend a day resting in the back yard of a vacant house behind us, eating the camphor tree berries. A whole huge flock of them. They do not stay long, I'm sure they clean the old trash trees like the camphor trees and then poop out the seeds, so I stay busy later in the year pulling up 5 gallon buckets full of the seedlings.

Meanwhile, the renters next door had a water pipe bust below ground and flooded their yard AND part of ours. I don't know if they would have realized it if we had not asked them about water coming under our fence......poor couple, they don't have many resources.

Meanwhile, I'm staying indoors to get rid of a bad head cold and strep throat. What a headache! And, I've placed TWO orders to Hallsons, ONE to GreenMt, and soon will call Van Wade to get Quesadilla, and Avalon Acres and Savory's for some old and new fragrant hosta. I like to chat with hosta people....they are always nice....and too busy during the growing season to spare much time for a chat. If spring does not arrive so I can get outside, I'll be broke for sure.

Speaking of nice people, has anyone heard from Jim Hartmann? Is he hibernating this winter?

I emailed Jim a couple days ago but have not heard back. He lives not far from me. I believe Jim and Sheila are away in some warm spot for the winter!

Teresa

Oh, just your usual cottonwood tree color, BKay. ; P

Don B.

Hi, Mocc. Hope you feel 100% real soon!

P.S. I have a piece of 'Tropical Storm' that fell off my bigger clump when I planted it in the summer. It's in a small pot. I just brought it in to see if it got enough cold to survive dormancy. If it dies, it's no big deal. I wanna see a hosta! Whine whine whine boo hoo hoo waah piss/moan etc.......I'll post a pic if pips pop (say THAT five times real fast) : )

Maybe I'll bring this lil piece of 'Bill Brinka' inside next...Hosta = Heroin

Don B.

Don, Don't you know that to qualify for yard art, your deer blind must be some color other than cottonwood tree color. Didn't you ever see, "redneck yard of the week"?.

bk

LOL missed that show, BKay. I watched a few minutes of 'Toddlers and Tiaras' the other day, though. Now I need meds.

Don B.

I was thinking I'd go for the sleek, modern look in deer blinds. Of course they have to guarantee that it won't shatter the first time some dumb deer runs into it!

DESPERATE for the light at the end of the tunnel, my garden-buddy and I went shopping for plants this past Sunday. Cactus it is! Plus my whopping order from the Deer Resistant Plant Nursery, which won't ship until late May, when the sun comes out again.

Every time I look at that "deer blind", I laugh.

bk

If you check the Garden Bench forum at Hallsons, you will discover jgh's hiding place.

-Babka

Babka - I went to the site ... Enjoyed reading JGH's post ... then noticed it is two years old! Oh well, so curiosity took over and I read over his very extensive hosta list...which he updated in May of this year. Wow, what a list!!!

I have, from time to time, wondered how he's doing and miss him on the forum. No doubt he is fully recovered and likely on an adventure with Sheila somewhere exotic. :-)

Jo

This post was edited by josephines67 on Wed, Jan 15, 14 at 1:22

Is that mirrored object REALLY a deer blind?

It must be made for younger folks, who have no issues with bad knees. Hope it's heavy enough that a big ole bear doesn't walk up to it and decide to take a swipe at that strange aggressive critter looking back at it.

Hmmm, I think it looks like a trash receptacle at the shopping centers. Pretty good idea for making our city garbage can disappear too.

Josephines- Huh? Jgh posted part 6 of his adventure in Africa on January 12, 2014. Now I am confused. Help?

-Babka

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to his latest post from Africa

This post was edited by Babka on Wed, Jan 15, 14 at 13:02

I'm sorry, Babka....for the confusion....obviously I read the older post first, then found recent others, but neglected to update my comments after...duh on me! I fell asleep and forgot about it. Quite the fantastic reading and pics, huh? Amazing - it's great that you provided the link for others to enjoy. :-)

Mocc that is a true deer blind. It is called a Ghost Blind. My ex/dead husband would have loved it. I have talked about it today as I would not mind one for myself to do photography. I did wonder if it sent a reflective beam as that hotel in Vegas does when the sun hits it. Paula

Babka, I guess my curiosity is up now about JH's adventures in Africa part SIX? Oh dear me, I'll HAVE to go read that.

That thang's a UFO! I seen one here in tha Gander Mountain Sporting Goods parking lot, hypmotizin' folks with a tractor beam or sumthin'. I had to look away, lest I became mezmerized, too!

Don B.

Still waiting for our first snowfall here in the western Virginia mountains.

Took out 10 fairly large trees this winter in the hillside garden terraces to open up a higher canopy for the hosta. Buckeyes, walnut, hybrid poplar, choke cherry, maples.

What I do to keep those miserable hosta clumps happy...

Need to get that horse manure so they will quit whining about nourishment.