This morning it went above freezing by about 9 am, showers or snow expected tonight and tomorrow. Who is to believe the weatherman, last Saturday he said the snow would not even cover the ground. Below is a photo from this morning a week later, no snow on the ground, I believe he got that wrong last week.
So with freezing temps down to 16 or 17 degrees at least two day last week, I still need to plant daffodils and crocuses. Here is the camellia called Kanjiro after these days down to the teens. This was taken yesterday, today the blooms appear to be browner.
With all the cold weather my work has been slow, been staining windows in a customers basement. So I have to let them dry between coats and one afternoon I went to one of the Orange County recycling Centers. I picked up 2 blue vodka bottles, the one on the left I got several weeks ago!
Getting ready to build the bottle wall pretty soon, my pile of bottles is getting pretty big.
Here is a paper wasp nest that was attached to our eaves over the ramp we walk up to the house. The wasps left prematurely months ago. Willing to bet at night this nest is full of Carolina Wrens seeking warm and protection inside the wasp nest. The big opening has only been there about a week or so.
I told Meg I was going to plant daffodils and crocuses today, was not very inspired with snow on the ground and all. It is supposed to be back in the teens Monday and Tuesday. Anyway while in Hillsborough today this crew of volunteers was planting a pollinator garden (from scratch) at the Alexander Dixon House also known as the Orange County Visitors Center. Turns out these volunteers are members of the
Orange County Beekeeper's Association. So I figured if they can be planting perennials I better get home and do my planting. I managed to get myself and the shovel pretty dirty, still I got all but maybe 12 planted as it started to sleet. Those crocuses nearly all had sprouts.
Hi Randy, I just came in from planting a Thuja and a Camellia japonica 'Dr. J C Raulston' a couple Carolina jessamine, and some Blackberry Lilies who were still in the pot from Virginia. We also dug a few holes for our pecan trees that are due in on Tuesday from Cooperative Extension. Think Monday and Tuesday are going to be way too cold to dig a hole......brrrrr.
ReplyDeleteAlso getting three each dogwood and redbud from Extension.
Stay warm. That wasp nest would have worried me.
Even though we don't have your snow, it is pretty cold here on the Gulf Coast. I still have a few things I need to plant, too, but they will have to wait until it warms up a bit.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the bottle wall.
Jan
Always Growing
And you have a nice warm feeling as a result of getting this job of crocus-planting nearly finished! And won't you (and we) enjoy the result next Spring? :-)
ReplyDeleteBtw: I saw my Carolina Wren again the other day!
Regarding that NO to Roundup, I write that glysophate is the chemical and the name a brand.
ReplyDeleteAn educated gardener should distinguish one from the other or the difference between this product and the one from Ortho.
The first is five percent the second
forty five. Which one would you buy?
Why mention just Roundup? Because most of the fools out
there not reading the label will buy the less efficient more expensive product?
I would like to know, in six months when those pretty, recently installed bricks get crowded with broad leaf and grass like weeds, what will you use? A torch?
I can't imagine planting anything here this time of year. How cool that you got most of your bulbs planted.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of the structures in the first photo. After looking at them again, I was wondering if they are the supports for a hoop house.
Keep warm!