Just watching a few Favas growing in the porch to transplant out in a week or so. When I transplant I'll sow some direct too. Also doing some pruning and tidying. But mostly just picking greens and looking at the Spring flowers.

Floral, lucky you, to have spring flowers! You must enjoy such a long gardening season.

Staring out the window at the windblown coating of snow as the next cold blast comes thinking "this could be bad." The last UMN climate summary mentioned temps in the 0-2" soil down into the teens and twenties in some areas with deepening frost and that was last week.

On the bright side, have been browsing the stores for seed packets to start planning this years garden.

My yard looks similar to those of PM2 and T2Dig. All but one of my compost piles have totally disappeared under snow as have all of the foundation shrubs (3 1/2' to 4' tall). Snowshoes are a must for going anywhere that hasn't been plowed/shoveled, but even with snowshoes it is still difficult going. Tuesday morning it was -20 F and we have had just one day of the last 5 weeks that it got above 32F. So I am finding it difficult to even think about ordering seeds, though I have ordered a few perennials plants and Clematis. I normally enjoy winter, but this is a bit much for me since it's been too cold to be outside many days. We had some cold weather before we had snow in January, freezing the soil, so I think it will be a late spring here. Which is a long-winded way to say that I am envious of those of you with things growing right now! I do always make sure to have some reticulated iris planted along the warmest stretch of south-facing foundation so most years I get a few flowers in March, but for the most part the garden doesn't wake up until April. I hope those of you with warmer gardens will continue to post photos.

I have just begun to consider what to do with shade plants as in the last two years we have lost two red maples to disease and storm as well as a couple of pagoda dogwoods, so I don't have much garden shade left at the house. Otherwise, I am playing with a relatively new camera (which I bought for garden photos), cooking, reading, moving snow, and feeding the wood stove.

It amazes me Babs, that we barely had a drop of snow in January or December and now we've had over 100 inches of snow in February alone. Quite a brutal winter. I usually enjoy winter too, but this is too much. Your schedule of cooking and reading in front of a wood stove sounds so idyllic except for the moving snow, and stuck in the house part.

We have so much snow close to the house, where we've had to rake snow off the roof all month, that I'm going to have to do a lot of hard pruning of all the foundation shrubs. I have two lovely boxwoods near my front door that took a hit from snow raked off the roof. I remembered, in the fall, to tie up my Ilex 'Sky Pencils' for a change, but snow from the garage roof, has pushed them over in a slant. I just can't get to them to dig them out. Normally by this time, I would have already started pruning, but I can't walk around the yard and a lot of shrubs are deep in the snow. It's too cold any way.

Sorry to hear you've lost trees. Are you considering replacing them? Did you have to hire an arborist to cut them down and remove them?

Which new camera are you playing with? I dropped my search for a new camera. I just got too busy.

It seems to me we have a good solid month more of winter. And of course, we could always get snow in April, what a horrible thought. I heard they had snow in the Mideast last week and that is a rarity. A coating of snow in the desert there. At any rate, I hope we get another 10 inches of snow before spring comes, because after such a horrible winter, we deserve to have the record for most snow, to remember it by! :-)

I planted out 3 apache plumes in the garden. Not much activity. It is 30F (cold and damp for a me)

My dad would have been jealous of your snow, PM2. He was from the PA mountains and it couldn't pile up high enough in Kansas for his liking.

Wintersowing perennials in containers is about all I've done, since it's largely an inside job.

Next up is planning for a big back yard renovation. I'm going to have a housemate with a dog starting this summer, so I've got some grading and drainage work to do before enclosing part of the yard (the part that still has a lawn) with a fence. Outside the fence I want to a put in a rain garden so that big rains can inundate that instead of my garage. Can't have the dog rooting around out there while that's getting established.

I like the part where I sit at the computer with a cup of coffee researching plants at the Missouri Botanical Garden and various nursery websites, but not so much the parts that involve real decision-making about how much and where. I lack experience and it makes me hesitant. I figure the best thing is just to charge in and get things in the ground.

WoodsTea - your Dad must have been an unusual person. [g] Must have been great growing up in the mountains. I think I would have liked that. I love snow and I even like shoveling it, but 100 inches in a month becomes a lot of work and this year, Boston couldn't keep up with it and public transportation has been a disaster for people depending on it. But when I was younger and when our kids were young, we loved the snow. Thankfully, March is Sunday and next week we're supposed to be out of the teens for the first time in awhile, so some of it might melt.

I haven't heard of anyone putting in a rain garden in awhile. I think they're great. I'm always trying to keep the rain on my property with out any run off. The only thing more that I could do would be rain barrels, which I haven't gotten around to yet.

Are you new to gardening?

My sister is like your Dad. She was complain that they are not having any below zero weather in Anchorage and takes it as a personal affront that New England is colder . She takes great glee in being comfortable when everyone else is shivering in multi layers. She loves to epitomize the "tough ol' bird" moniker.

Despite the fact that I have always lived where it is cold in the winter I won't be happy until it is 80 F-25 C.

It is great to see your Iris are up and at it. It gives us hope that winter will end. lol!

wantonamara What a great view you have!

I have been cleaning and organizing seeds.

I'm part of the still-snowy crowd. I 've done a ton of Wintersowing of mostly native perennials. I increased the number of milkweed plants I normally sow by at least a factor of ten. People across the country are planting native milkweeds for the Monarch Butterflies in an effort to counteract the loss of milkweed due to widespread use of RoundUp Ready crops throughout the Midwest, as well as historic drought. Monarch numbers are down almost 90% in just the last two years. Nectar plants, both native and otherwise, are also critical for energy for the long migration, so plant those zinnias and salvias and all the others.

Thanks for sharing your glimpses of spring. We always have at least one big snowstorm in mid-March, but then we should start to see signs of melting.

Martha

Martha, I've noticed the drop in Monarchs in the past two years. I have three Butterfly Bushes, Baptisia, and I plant parsley, dill, cilantro. I have quite a few native shrubs as well, including Lindera, Blueberry, Clethra, Aronia, and Ninebarks.

I am trying Asclepias tuberose for the first time this year. I wintersowed 'Gay Butterflies'. I've also increased the number of plants that attract pollinators which include Butterflies. Yarrow for the first time this year and I usually add Pentas and Lantana for the season. I'm starting Zinnia seed as well.

I'd really love to see more Butterflies. I had a lot of small butterflies last year, but I only saw two Monarchs practically the whole summer. I see more Swallowtails than I do Monarchs.

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of gardens in our neck of the woods. Lawn and foundation shrubs and that's about it. I'm sure that's a factor.

PM2 - I planted a combination of perennials and shrubs that can be hard pruned under where the snow dumps - Annabelle hydrangea and Spireas since I know that about half of our winters will require pruning to the ground for these plants. I got a Nikon Coolpix P600, largely for the 60x zoom since I have long views and wanted to be able to take bird photos in the yard and garden. I'm still learning. I know several folks have been happy with the 50x Canon point and shoot, which because it has been around for quite a while in various iterations, has a lot of tutorials on the web, something I miss with my camera. DH took down all but one of the trees. He is handy with a chainsaw and none of them were close enough to any structures or other trees to potentially cause problems. The other one was between the road and the house and had multiple trunk branches, so we hired out to a friend who has a tree business since he could take it down in pieces.

I've been thinking about adding some Asclepias tuberosa also. I had it in a previous garden, but didn't think to grab seeds when we moved. I really like the bright orange to contrast with the blues that I have in so many of my gardens.

That was great planning, Barb. I inherited a couple of large overgrown shrubs that I have not gotten rid of yet. One is a big ole Taxus that I've pruned hard multiple times. The anticipation of trying to get that out has put it on the back burner and other projects have been higher on the priority list. One good thing is that I don't care what happens to it, it's just about indestructible any way. [g]

I have a Blue Holly on the other side that will require a lot more hard pruning this year. I do have a Hydrangea that blooms on new wood, so I'm not worried about that. The two I am worried about are boxwoods on either side of the front steps. Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'. They have been very very slow growing. I really don't have to prune that much at all and they are just the right height right now. I'm just hoping I don't have to cut them back hard, and wait for them to grow back in again.

I wondered if your camera was the Nikon that we talked about before. I was considering the Canon 50x but I realized that I rarely use the zoom on my old camera and I'd rather be taking macro shots. [g] So I crossed that off my list. Since dealing with all the ice dams this winter, shopping for a camera is on the back burner again. Glad you are having fun with your new camera!

You are blessed to have a friend in the tree business. lol And wow, you dodged a bullet not to have any collateral damage from the downed trees. I imagine you now have enough wood for the fire to last quite awhile. Are you going to be replacing them with something?

I've grown the Asclepias incarnata but not the tuberosa and I wanted something shorter, so I hope this works out. The orange and blue is a combination I am always attracted to. I am going for reds, oranges, wine, purples. Pushing my border toward a more 'hot' theme. At least that's the plan. :-)

Great shots! I've been:

edited to add: I finally washed all those plant tags--now I just have to alphabetize them and stick them in the plastic pages.
weeding
mowing
filling bird feeders--added finch feeders today
keeping hummer feeders freshly filled
cutting back perennials--but only the tip of the iceberg
buying dahlia bulbs (!)
bought a Sciadopitys and another Sarcococca
waiting for my daffs to bud/bloom--planted them very late--but that's okay!
surveying and not seeing lots of plants I bought/planted last Fall come up yet :(

Garden Prince, I LOVE your photo of snow drops! Such a welcome sight. This morning I'm just enjoying my early indicators that spring is almost here. The sun coming in my window at 7:30am is bright and strong!

Wendy, I can't believe somewhere, someone is mowing their lawn! It will probably be two months before we have to mow ours. lol

Two years ago we had a winter with lots of low temps and little snow cover, and I was worried about whether certain plants made it, but many of them came up later than usual. So don't give up hope yet.

..my Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' finally in full bloom....and they're under glass too...

...it's a bit early but I planted out some Kniphofia ['Lemon Popsicle'] and Pennisetum ['Karley Rose'] today...

Prairie, yes it's been milder than normal.

Marlorena those iris are stunning! When will you expect your Karley Rose to emerge next year? I'm looking for signs of life in the ones I planted last Fall but alas there is no green showing yet.

I mostly read this forum & don't post much...this long, cold winter is hopefully slowly ending.

So I am waiting for spring.
Friend sent me these pics of "mostly perennial" flowers....
(she said "while you are waiting for yours to come out"):

...^those are nice...especially the blue one of the Morning Glory....

..hi WendyJo... thanks, I'm glad you liked them...I aim to get a lot more for next season and have them outside...

...as for my Pennisetum 'Karley Rose'....I cheated a bit and kept it inside for January then into greenhouse for Feb....it's got some green shoots and with the weather getting milder this week... mid 50'sF... thought I'd take a chance and get it out... they should flower this year....

...some green just showing on my other Pennisetum orientale that's been out all year...I've just cut that back.... I do love these.... and their winter stalks billowing in the wind... very suitable for a flat landscape....

...I hope Spring will soon arrive where you are.... kind regards...

Rina those are great! Maybe Houzz could sprinkle them about the page!

Marlorena, thanks for that information! I've not given up. I'm out in the garden earlier in the year than normal and am choosing to believe they're still alive--the alternative being the sinking feeling that I've wasted a lot of money on an eleventh hour mail order plant buying obsession...

I've enjoyed Jan and most of February reading gardening books and planning for spring/summer and fall. Lately, when weather permits, I have been splitting perennials, moving some young trees/shrubs, spraying dormant oil on my heirloom apple trees, starring at my heirloom rambling roses and where I will be pruning them back to keep them behaving. I also enjoy walking the garden paths enjoying the anticipation I have for new and older garden treasures, buried below, to reveal their beauty this spring.

Grief, I have been even more lethargic than usual, taking ages to wake up to the new season. Thankfully, I had an insane autumn sowing craze - literally hundreds of pots - most of which have completely vanished from memory. So, life is doing its thing without any intervention from me apart from flinging the odd can of water in the direction of the greenhouse (still woefully filthy despite all promises to wash the glass). There is somethimng new coming up every day....although I am putting the massive pricking out and potting on sessions out of mind just yet as I am being run ragged by the hyperactive collie (why did I not get a greyhound?...or a goldfish?).

The whole house is reeksome as I have been making up a batch of 'treats' for the puppy training class.

Christinmk, How is your enthusiasm in re of hardy geraniums lately? I read in one of your posts that it was not too strong? Also, was wondering how your omphalodes
cappadocia 'Starry Eyesis is doing. I was looking for some seeds of it online. Sure looks pretty and would love to hear about yours please.

Patty

In the process of cutting back evergreen ferns and Helleborus and may transplant some of them to bare spots.
Weeding as I go.
Need to cut back the Rugosas today.
When things leaf out more, I'll move them to their permanent homes.
Going to sift some of the rotted sod pile from last year--yay--free dirt!
Plan on going to a close by nursery later this morning--first plant trip this year!
Cleaned out and rearranged two sheds--think cobwebs--washed the old windows in one inside and out. We removed the wooden porch floor and I'll be leveling out the ground and replacing it with river rock. DH added two more windows to one wall in it and now we want even more in that one! Love having more light. Going to the Habitat Store this next week to look for wood framed windows..Craigslist is empty lately!

What does everyone do with their multitude of plant pots? I took some to a nursery years ago, gotta call around to see if anyone wants them.

Great thread Christin! Do you ever come to the coast?

-Patty, my enthusiasm is still strong for my favorites, like 'Biokovo' & 'Karmina', and my beloved G. renardii. If there is one plant I always look forward to it is renardii. So dependable and looks great after blooming. Geranium himalayense 'Plenum' (Birch's Double) hasn't bloomed since I relocated it, but I've enjoyed its performance in the past, even though it can flop.

On the whole I'm still rather disenchanted with the genus. I think it is mainly due to the fact so many look like rodent residences after blooming, be it from tiered or mildewed foliage.

I'm not sure 'Starry Eyes' will produce seed. I've had it for eight years and have yet to see any seedlings. I'd wager they wouldn't come true even if they did make seed... It's a wonderfully trouble-free plant. Takes quite awhile to get established enough to spread/clump, but is worth the wait. It does resent areas that aren't good draining. It seemed okay with some root competition when I had it planted under the front sycamore too. Great little plant!

-

-Wendy, maybe with so many windows in your shed you could even use it as a cold frame for overwintering things?? I can't speak for every nursery, but at the one I work for we legally can't re-use anything with brand names (Proven Winners, Monrovia, etc). Pony's and super flimsy ones are frowned upon generally. Other than that we usually are glad to take them. Maybe even try garden clubs? Community gardens? Schools, churches, or retirement homes that might have plant sales or garden programs?

I do occasionally make it to your side of the state, though it has been a few years. I've got relatives there, so I suppose that's the only reason I don't visit more often, LOL! ;-)

CMK

LOL! Thanks for the pot adoption ideas! Come to the ocean!

ETA I wish! The shed's too dark.

CMK....i am going to put up my list of geraniums I am thinking about ordering here on the Perennial Forum. I have some but would like to get many more if possible. I would greatly appreciate your comment(s) on them if time allows. Can't send you a message. I understand the different locations and possible growing conditions, but just would like to hear what you and maybe some other geranium collectors think.
I have collections of other plants/shrubs/bulbs that have been planted in my garden over the years. Some that provided much excitement and enjoyment and still do and others, well, we all know the story....Got Shovel? Must be the year for the hardy geraniums maybe?
Thank you for info of Starry Eyes. Will look for a source to buy the plant.
Patty

-Wendy, I should one of these days!! I do miss my visits there (especially ones that include nursery-hopping)! ;-)

hummmm...I do have my settings to get email notification when someone messages me. Anyone know why an email wouldn't be going thru from another member???

-Patty, I'd be happy to comment on any you are considering that I've grown. Ah yes...I've gone thru many such crazed collection phases! 2007 was my 'Year of the Tulip', which eventually taught me the valuable lesson in not putting too much stock in the newer hybrid tulips lasting more than two years!

CMK

CMK - I have written to Houzz in re of having problems with not being able to contact members like we did before Houzz arrived. I was looking at Trades and could not communicate with members in that area either. I think we have to double check out profiles, under Advanced Settings/bottom of page, for this setting. Here is their response:

As
long as they are allowing messages from anyone on the site, you should
see a white Message button on the upper right of their profile.

There
are three setting for allowing messaging. 1. No messaging 2. Only
messages from people I follow or 3. Allow messages from anyone.

*************

Ah yes, the tulip collection. Went through that about 25 years ago. Gosh, love the search for new plants, bulbs, etc. It's part of the fun researching online, with books, friends and on forums. Planted a good amount in the ground one fall only to have a sweet little 5 yo boy next door pull each petal off of all of them. "she loves me, she loves me not." It was more easily accepted than having a squirrel get them. Maybe it was the beginning of this little boy's interest in gardening. Haven't planted a tulip since then. Now heirloom narcissi? Love them!

patty

Christinmk - When I check your profile, the white button only says follow, so you might want to recheck your settings if you want to receive emails. With Patty I can see both a follow button and a message button.

Thanks Patty and Babs! I just amended it so 'anyone can message me', so hopefully that does the trick. ;-) If not I will keep pressing buttons until it works or something explodes, lol.

-Patty, ya! That is one of my chief enjoyments too, researching plants. That would be disheartening to have someone de-petal your tulips, but I suppose it was a bit more forgivable than a rodent or Mother Nature destroying it.

CMK

CMK - You are good to go with messages now.

Thanks!
CMK

One of my *dream* borders.

Ooooooh--nursery hopping! I'll pay for lunch and gas! :wink wink:!

More cutting back and general cleanup in the borders today--great weather. I still have more ferns to cut back and tons of wind fall/smallish branches to pick up. Had to put on my ear muffs and quilted jacket, though, cuz the wind got chilly.

I have never had this much done in the garden this early in the year! What a great feeling! If I keep up at this rate, I'll have to get my old to do lists out--the ones I never seem to get to...inside the house, however...oh well, it's supposed to rain later in the week ;~)

I found some base growth/green on several plants and that made me happy! Despite all that I plant, I still have so much bare dirt--must get more and more dwarf conifers, evergreen shrubs, trees, bulbs and perennials!

In the evening, I've been watching garden shows (UK gardens) on Youtube--I can do this for hours--easily.

Sounds like fun!! Next time I make a trip to your neck of the woods... ;-) Fair warning- I do tend to have embarrassing plant-geek-out moments when nursery shopping!

I've gone thru most of Gardeners World on YT. I really like it, though I question the necessity of Monty Don showing us how to plant carrots each and every year, LOL. Must look up some new shows.

CMK

BTW, I changed my username back because...I could!

Deal! I'm usually with non-gardening friends and they think I'm nuts for getting so excited over rare (or any) plant finds!

Point taken re:Monty Don however, I dearly loved watching the series *Around the World in 80 Gardens* Especially *Ninfa* in italy!!! (See Monty Don Italian Gardens *The South*) OMG it is so incredibly beautiful! Check it out!

I like looking at any I can find. Have you seen the BBC presentation *Glorious Gardens From Above*? Christine Walkden (speaking of geeking out!) drops into famous gardens in an air balloon. I can only find 3 episodes, though.

If you dig, there are many more to find. Google *Great British Garden Revival*, Alan Titchmarsh, *The A to Z of Gardening*, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Flower Show Tatton Park and the list goes on...one of my fave pass-times!

I've watched Alan Titchmarsh on TV when he was on. I enjoyed his show. I haven't checked out YouTube though. Good tip!

..a new series of 'Gardener's World' started last week.....I don't know if you can view BBC iPlayer from where you are..maybe not, but this episode was about pruning apple trees... Pelargoniums and a report from South Africa where they grow on Table Mountain.... plus winter gardens from RHS Wisley... also a segment about garden design - very Houzz that...

...if you were ever interested in 'Poldark'....there is a new series just started on BBC... I'm just catching up with it on iPlayer... apart from his strange scar which looks like running mascara to me... it's not bad...

Poldark

PM, I like Alan, too.
Marlorena, thanks for the heads up. I don't have a way to view the new series but no doubt someone will post it on T. You mean Monty? He's aging, although I found him strangely handsome in his younger years :blush:

Boy I haven't been on this forum in a while, things have changed!

I"v been working away on my latest garden related winter project of making a bee hive and whats likely to turn into my new excuse to spend time attending to instead of weeding. I love the way they've turned out; I built two with the hopes of selling one to help fund this new hobby.

With things warming up like it is where I am I feel like I need to hurry up and get my seeds stared. Even with snow on the ground I feel like I'm behind the ball.

FYI the second one still hasn't sold if anyone in S-WI is interested.

GE, that's great looking! Such attention to detail with the dovetailing! Thanks for sharing!
I know what you mean on the weeding thing. My BIL offered us a hive and at first I thought it'd be great but then decided I didn't need anymore chores outside! Good for you!

I LOVE your beehive! It's one of the prettiest ones I've seen. Looks like dovetailed joints? Sorry I'm not planning on keeping bees. I'm planning on purchasing Pollinator Houses for native bees, etc. I think those are really popular now too.

GE...Yes, your hives are lovely. I have bees too and the same set up..Cottage top, which is lovely and the same type joints as yours. Looks like cedar? I have a small heirloom apple orchard, some blackberries and raspberries. I don't see much action on them from the honey bee, but other bees enjoy them. The bees are work but it's so enjoyable to sit nearby on a warm spring/summer day and watch so much activity going on around the hive.
Enjoy them.

patty

Thanks, I was looking for something that would stand out in the garden and be more of a feature than an object serving a purpose. The box joints are standard on most hives but I embellished a little by mixing cedar and pine. Thanks patty I'm looking forward to working in the garden and appreciating the bees and their honey of course.

I'm waiting for the snow to melt and for it to, now that it is warmer, stop raining so I can fiddle around outside. Daff greens are starting to pop up through the bit of snow we have left (z7). And I started my Black Krim and Rutgers seeds inside finally! Can't wait to start cleaning up the yard a bit.

Watching it rain sideways...

.... moved the rest of my Brugmansias out of the greenhouse, not out in the open yet but into my garden room, (fiberglas roof, latticed walls). I've had a sacrificial lamb out there for over a week, it's doing fine so the job of emptying the greenhouse and trucking the more tender things up to the garden room has begun.
I need the space for seeding a few perennials and potting on the tomatoes until safe to plant outside (May) plus I'm experimenting with some Oca and Crosne tubers and hopefully a couple of Yacon tubers if I'm lucky. These will be growing in tubs so if needed they can go back in the greenhouse in the fall to finish off. Tomorrow even if it's still raining it's time to get all my water barrels cleaned up and filled it looks like we might be heading for a very dry summer and very strict watering restrictions, hardly any snow pack in the mountains this year. On one hand mild winters are a treat but then the consequences :(.

Annette

I just cleaned up my snowdrop bed, figured I should get it done now since there's snow on the way tomorrow and I want to be able to enjoy things as the snow melts back again lol. Snowdrops and hellebore sprouts make spring seem closer even if it did drop to 18F again last night!