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Vicissitudezz
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December 2017, Week 4, Christmas and Cold Weather
Comments (85)Nancy, Y'all have had quite a bit of cool weather already, and I think that helps the rosemary because the cooler weather has hardened off the rosemary to gradually cooler weather (or, at least, this is how it is supposed to work). The years in which I've lost rosemary were ones where the autumn stayed flat out hot forever, and then the first cold spell hit hard in December like a tornado flying across the plains, and the rosemary could not take the sudden change from very warm weather to intensely cold weather....like, 70 degrees one day and then 18 degrees the next night, with worse temperatures following after the 18 degree night. The only other time I've lost rosemary was in a winter that was very cold/very wet and the soil just stayed too wet for the rosemary for months. That's why I now have one rosemary plant in a bed raised 18" above grade level and the other one in a large urn that's a couple of feet tall---if the rosemary is not in well-drained soil now (the urn has a cactus soil blend to which I added extra decomposed granite), then I'll never have anything in well-drained soil because I don't think I can make anything drain better than that tall bed and that urn. I hope you have fun painting the furniture and making decorating decisions. I enjoy doing things like that so much. I don't know if 4 cold days will faze the bugs at all. It is so complicated. Some insects have anti-freeze type substance in them that helps them survive winter, so I think it just depends on what insect you're talking about. Time will tell. This morning Tim removed a very, very large leaf-footed bug from his car that we assume got into the car trunk at the police station. It was hideous-looking. I told him to not bring home ugly bugs like that. It was a good 50% bigger than any leaf-footed bug I've ever seen here, and maybe even more than 50% bigger. It possibly wasn't a leaf-footed bug (I didn't go over and observe it that closely) and might have been a kissing bug, which I don't think normally could take our cold weather up here. Regardless, except for that hideous thing, I haven't seen many insects lately and take that as a good sign. Possibly they all are just hibernating, as they tend to do, in mulch, beneath leaves, etc. We need a really cold, prolonged spell that lasts weeks to knock back the insect population significantly and I doubt we'll get that, but constant recurring cold spells, with warm days in between, could help kill insects. One thing to do is to rototill the garden soil in cold weather, so you stir up bugs underground and expose them to colder air surfaces at the ground level. That exposure helps them freeze to death. Rebecca, While they may prefer well-drained soil, I grew calendula in the ground in beds with barely amended clay for several years after we moved here and they did fine. Granted, it was one drought year after another, except for 2004, so they might have done better in the clay in dry weather than they would have in wet weather, but they also did well in 2004 when it was pretty wet in the spring. You can find southern peas dried, canned, frozen or (at some stores) freshly shelled and sold in plastic containers or bags in the fresh produce section, ready for cooking, usually with an expiration date of about 7 days. I don't know if you'll find any specifically labeled PEPH--but you might if your local stores carry one of the brands of vegetables produced in the south. Margaret Holmes' veggies include canned White Acre peas, but I'm pretty sure all their other southern peas are listed on the label as Field Peas or Blackeye Peas (either of which might/might not include PEPH types) and I think Glory Foods' peas also are only listed as Blackeyed Peas on the label. I'm pretty sure I've seen PEPH sold canned before, but don't remember where or which brand it was. Keep in mind that the average consumer calls all southern peas (whether they are PEPH, black eyed, green eyed, crowder, zipper, lady or cream peas) black-eyed peas and it generally is only gardeners or southern chefs who would refer to different kinds of southern peas, like PEPHs, with their proper name. If you want southern peas in what might be a more palatable dish, you can buy (or make) a traditional southern dish called Hoppin' John. Some Hoppin' John recipes are basically just peas, onions and peppers along with a few spices and others also include tomatoes or other ingredients. Here's one example: Margaret Holmes' Canned Hoppin' John When I make Hoppin' John, I usually use a lot of jalpenos so ours is pretty hot. Our PEPHs are shelled, frozen, and ready to cook along with our New Year's weekend ham, but when I want them fresh and have run out of frozen ones, Central Market has them freshly shelled, sold in plastic containers, for a very reasonable price almost year-round. I believe theirs generally are raised in far south Texas. Nancy, Canned southern peas are nowhere near as good as fresh or frozen, but they'll serve the purpose for observing the southern tradition of eating southern peas, preferably on New Year's Eve at midnight as the new year begins, for good luck. We just wait and have ours at noon and at dinner on New Year's Day since we aren't going to be awake and eating peas at midnight. Keep in mind I am anti-canned veggies because my taste buds prefer the flavor and texture of either fresh veggies or frozen veggies. That doesn't mean all canned veggies are bad, but just that I find the other forms preferable. They are people, I am sure, who hate the frozen version and prefer the canned one too. Kim, I'm sorry you're ill for the holiday weekend. Please stay put and take care of yourself and get well. Flu is running rampant right now. The linked map shows how widespread the flu is, as of last week: Weekly Flu Map for W/E 12/23/2017 It probably is wise to stay there in Denton until the weather settles down since all sorts of light winter precip are possible over the next few days. We're under a Winter Weather Advisory here through 6 a.m. tomorrow (and y'all are under one in Denton until midnight) but nothing really is happening here yet. I'm hoping nothing falls from the sky. We had drizzle before we reached freezing temperatures, but by the time the temperature dropped to freezing this afternoon, the drizzle had ended, so I think we're lucky so far. Jennifer, All southern peas count towards fulfilling the Good Luck requirement. I've lived in the south all my life, and it never has matter which southern peas you ate for good luck, as long as you ate southern peas. When we lived in Fort Worth, our next-door neighbor, a lovely woman in her 70s/80s got together with a bunch of people from her church every New Year's Eve and they ate southern peas right at midnight for good luck. They said if you weren't eating them at midnight to welcome the new year, you wouldn't have good luck. We've always just waited and had ours at noon on the 1st. It probably is a silly custom, but it doesn't hurt to eat the peas, so why not do it? Amy, Uggh. I wouldn't have been able to eat oyster stew again either after finding that big wad of hair...and I don't want to think about where the hair might have come from. Tim is outside making a shelter for a feral kitty who's been hanging around, and we've been feeding it this week and trying to tame it. Feral cats here usually will not survive all the predators wondering around in the winter, so I'd like to bring him or her indoors to stay safe from the predators and the cold weather, but most feral kitties won't let you pick them up and bring them in, so a big box with a fluffy old comforter on the covered patio will have to suffice. I might take a heated throw blanket out there, plug it into an outlet in the garage, and try to keep the kitty warmer on Sun and Mon nights if I cannot get it to come in tomorrow. (Most cats like me better, by far, but this one prefers Tim, so he might have better luck trying to pick it up and bring it in. We do always wear thick leather gloves when attempting a feral cat rescue.) It is cold and cloudy here, but otherwise quiet. Our VFD/PD/EMS GroupMe mermbers are giving us constant updates from all over the county and beyond (if they are traveling), and even though there's been drizzle and there's been freezing temperatures, there hasn't been freezing drizzle yet. We're keeping our fingers crossed. Dawn...See MoreHigh Country Roses: 20% OFF in-stock varieties!
Comments (16)I ordered quite a few for the cemetery. Eleanor -- the cemetery president -- wants to have a "planting day" in Spring as a way to get people interested in volunteering, so I've been waiting for the end-of-season sales to start. I also nabbed a few from Rose Petals Nursery, which still has a bunch listed for $7, and one for $5. They can't be sorted by price, but if you go to "in-stock roses" and scroll through, keeping an eye on prices, you'll catch those marked down. Those two orders will be shipped April 15. Angel Gardens' sale was on the stipulation that the roses would be shipped by October, so I chose only a few which weren't so tender that they'd be iffy going in the ground here this time of year. Since I know you'll ask anyway, I copied the email I sent to Eleanor and pasted it below. It includes a little something about some of the roses, and possible placements. I tried focusing on things that weren't easily found elsewhere, or were "found" roses which would fit here, or were things that would fit and were marked down in price. Moving forward, I'm going to try expanding the cemetery's collection by asking for cuttings, which I'll either try rooting, or just bud onto 'Pink Clouds' and plant deeply enough so that they eventually go own-root. From Angel Gardens, coming this month: "Barbara's Pasture Rose" http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.37549 'Felicite et Perpetue' -- for Maple at Needham-Roxbury http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.2722 'Gruss an Teplitz' -- for the Staat bed http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.3131 'Kiftsgate' -- for Beech at first bed http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.3614.0 'Rambling Rector' -- for one of the pines http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.5077 'Seagull' -- for one of the pines http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5667 From High Country Roses, coming in April: 'Alfred Colomb' -- Leu bed? http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.132.0 "Beulah Blakely" (Riverside Cemetery in Denver) -- not sure where yet http://www.highcountryroses.com/beulah-blakely 'Dupontii' -- not sure where yet, but look at the pics and think about it http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.1682 'Enfant de France' -- Leu bed? http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2627.0 "Fairmount Proserpine" (Fairmount Cemetery in Denver) http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.62618.0 [possibly the real 'Proserpine', which see below] http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5003&tab=36 "Fairmount Red" (Fairmount Cemetery in Denver) -- behind main stone in Staat bed http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.30250 [possibly 'Rivers' George IV', which see below] http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5227 'Francis E. Lester' (named for the man who started Roses of Yesterday and Today, an old-rose nursery in California) -- possibly to climb the maple in the second (huge) bed http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.2836 'General Jacqueminot' -- Leu bed, or can be pegged to the railing in a front corner elsewhere http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2919 'Gloire de Guilan' (a rose found by English gardener-writer Nancy Lindsay growing in Iran to produce attar of roses in the 1940s, but which was much, much older) -- something for the base of a tree, possibly at shorter strip bed http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.2977 'Great Western' (named for the second mail steamship to cross the Atlantic in 1838, which arrived just a few hours after the first -- Sirius -- which left four days earlier) -- behind a featured stone http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.308988 'Harrison's Yellow', aka 'The Yellow Rose of Texas' -- longer strip bed http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/pl.php?n=56662 (George Folliott Harrison bred the rose in Manhattan, and his grave is still there, and is now a part of the Heritage Rose District of NYC, which see below) http://www.heritagerosefoundation.org/heritage-rose-district-of-nyc Oh, and good thing I placed the order, because now it's sold-out "Hattie Burton" (found-rose grown since at least 1920 in Utah, so must be older) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.30251.0 'Henri Martin' -- behind a featured stone, perhaps Leu bed? http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.3247 'Henry Nevard' -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.3252 'Marchesa Boccella' / 'Jacques Cartier' (one of several examples of an old rose whose true identity is suspect, so it's listed under both names) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.3252 'Mrs. John Laing' -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.4317 'Nevada' -- longer strip bed http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.4454 'Paul Ricault -- in commerce as' -- behind a featured stone http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2201.0 [in all likelihood, its real identity is 'Paul Perras', which see below] http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.63925.0 "Souvenir du President Lincoln -- in commerce as" (the original was dark red, but this rose is deep pink -- still, it's very fragrant old long-caned Bourbon from the 19th Century) -- to peg to the railing in a front corner somewhere http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.24649.1 'Stanwell Perpetual' (the old-rose that inspired David Austin to breed repeat-blooming old-fashioned roses) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5953 'Sydonie' -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.17662.1 'William Lobb' -- behind a featured stone, maybe Needham-Roxbury, maybe Leu http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.6102.1 From Rose Petals Nursery, coming in April: 'Anna Olivier' -- not sure where yet, probably Staat or Leu or someplace in full-sun http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.268.3 "Baretta St. Bourbon" (found-rose from California) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.20455 "Chester Cemetery No. 2" (an old Noisette found at least three times, and given a name each time, then later recognized to be the same....so whatever it's real name was, the rose was grown in South Carolina and California) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.36863.1 "Green Mount Red" (Noisette from Green Mount Cemetery in Maryland, replanted in Heritage Rose District in Harlem, NYC) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.73077 'Kazanlik' (dating at least to the Crusades, when the earliest Damasks were brought to Europe, this is grown for attar of roses in Bulgaria) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.1948 'Ornament des Bosquets -- in commerce as' (original was a once-blooming Ayrshire, but this is a repeat-blooming Noisette) -- climber for a sunny tree http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.22667 "Picayune" (an old miniature Polyantha found unnamed in Louisiana, the "found" name refers to a Mexican coin, which is the same size as the tiny blooms) -- for the Staat baby girl who died in the early 20th Century http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.32038.2 'Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux' -- not sure where yet, needs full sun http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.5205 "Roseville Noisette" (found-rose from California, probably early 19th Century) -- not sure where yet http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.60770 'Souvenir d'un Ami -- in commerce as' (probably not the original, but still a 19th Century Tea) -- not sure where yet, needs full-sun http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5908 :-) ~Christopher...See MoreDecember 2018, Week 3
Comments (21)I really really need to figure out what's going to be happening with winter sowing, because I plan to have some of the stuff ready to go by the 1st. George, I am so thrilled for Jereth. I wish it were me. Oh well. Lifelong learning is a wondrous thing, degree or not, right? I am a huge enormous fan of lifelong learning. It will be interesting to see where this new chapter takes her--and both of you. Good luck, Jennifer, I do hope everything goes smoothly for you with such a busy schedule and your company. I'm sure it will be lovely, but don't be so hard on yourself needing everything to be just right! Some of you saw my FB post about GDW and me seeing the dead feral hog about 2 1/2 miles from our place. That's plenty close. I frankly have believed they're here now for the past month or so. I saw some scat out back--not in the immediate yard, but at the end of the driveway near the back 40 (that seems to be the major highway branch all the lost critters come down on this street/road) that sent shivers up my spine. We raised pigs for 4-H when my boys were young. . .the stuff I spotted, I was SURE either had to be black bear or pig, and I was definitely learning toward pig (since I've never seen black bear scat, partly. Also because I figured it was more likely to be feral pigs than black bears. . .) I am so not happy about this. They could create hell here, with all these loose dogs, chickens, cats, flower beds, yards. . . .and all the foresty areas interspersed throughout this sort of "neighborhood suburban lake area. I'm so glad, however, that we saw it today. In fact, we were coming back from town, I was driving my car. . . and GDW spotted it. He mentioned he saw a dead critter; couldn't tell if it was a calf or large dead dog. I said, "Well. Let's go back and see." (That's my new interest--the area's lost and found pets. A lady lost a black lab last week in our area; GDW and I saw it--a black lab with red collar; and another guy saw it, too. We chimed in and reported where we saw it. . . but before she got back out there, someone had hit and killed the dog on the road. We saw its body, and someone else reported it, too. Sad. Since, as you know, we've had our share of "found" pets in the past year (thankfully no lost ones), I am very good friends of those lost and found sites now.) I wanted to see what it was so I could report it on lost and found. So I turned around and we went back. Pulled over and got out to look after GDW saw that it was a pig. Yep. Knda longish dark brown/black coarse hair. Certainly matched up with the images on Google. Sound right to those of you who know? More animal stuff. People across the street with the undisciplined chocolate lab who raises holy hell chasing cars, and barking at everything; chasing MY cats. I am not happy with this dog. For God knows what reason this dog has been turned outside for parts of the wee hrs of the morning. This morning it was 3:30-5:30. And non-stop barking. It did stop about 5:30 and we were able to go back to sleep. But the dog has gotten me up, this is the 4th time in a month, by 5 am. I'm not a 5 a.m. person, and definitely not a 3:30 a.m. person. So hard to figure out, you know? Like, they don't hear the dog barking? Of course, I'm going to have to say something if it happens again. I'll approach it good-naturedly but firmly. PEOPLE!! So glad those sorts aren't as large in number around us as those who aren't that sort. So, Dawn, you are acquainted with the horrors of feral hogs. . . what's the situation with the rest of you and them? I'm somewhat nervous, not having been exposed to them before. And am glad we've got a shooter here who knows how to shoot. You know, I ended up having so much fun frosting the little sugar cookie figures that I decided I want to get really good at it! Remember I said I either had to get good at it or never do them again? So I made a second batch, but this time, had researched so ordered little squeeze bottles. It was still a pain filling the squeeze bottles with frosting (used funnels, which made it a bit easier), but definitely pretty easy to direct the frosting. SO. I do believe I'm gonna add THAT little thing to my fun stuff. I can't believe I just said that. I HATE baking. And yet the fruitcakes and the sugar cookies and gingerbread men were a blast. Kinda love/hate. I hope you all have a most blessed Christmas, whether it's cozy and tiny or whether it's glitzy and large. May you all be filled with love. And joy. And comfort. And renewed hope for LOVE and PEACE. And God bless all the Tiny's we all have. My Tiny cat is precious. I'm sure you all know how very special I think he is. And he is. BUT. Not more precious than our two gray tabbies or Titan, our flawed but great protector. Not more precious than my wonderful friends. My Wyoming friends, my MN friends, my gardening friends, my Oklahoma friends.My atheist friends, my agnostic friends, my relatives---it's all about LOVE. . LOVE GOD. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. That's it. Love to you all and Christmas blessings....See MoreHigh country roses website update
Comments (54)It was held at the Denver Botanical Gardens and I think all the buildings there are pretty spectacular. Surprisingly the parking decks were almost full when we got there. I think it was because today was so gorgeous. I didn't get any roses but there were a number of people leaving with garden carts to help them with their haul. I think High Country Roses must have grabbed various plants that were Colorado appropriate from their flowering stock and brought them. Everything had a bloom. :-) Matt mentioned how Weeks Roses had cancelled their order but sold them a propogating license instead and so all his staff has been madly propagating the Weeks patented plants. They are even going out to member's gardens to get cuttings. I think he said they had 600 "parent" plants in house. In previous conversations he had mentioned that Weeks Roses sells them plugs that they then grow. It sounded like no plugs this year hence all the propagating. Matt has a great presentation style and incorporated alot of humor in his talk. There were alot of helpful 'science fair' style presentations for people like myself to come up to speed easily and quickly on all things pertaining to rose growing. I think they thought there was less attendance than usual due to Coronavirus but I think there were more people there than I thought would be. However, this is the first time I have attended. The other outfit selling roses was Bailey Bare Root Plants. They had bare root roses and peonies for sale. The bare root plants were pretty big, hence the garden carts. Bailey Nurseries I was pretty pumped to get a door prize but I was hoping for one of Matt's High Country Roses Gift Certificates. Some other lucky people got those. In my door prize basket I am most excited to try the rose food. We tried Mile High Rose feed last year and it drove the dogs insane! They kept trying to eat it. This new one is liquid so hopefully won't have that affect....See MoreVicissitudezz
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