Fragrance of spring in middle of winter
The Carolina Jasmine is the perennial that produces in all four seasons of the year. It is a combo of hedge, ornamental, floral, fragrance, and color from the dead of winter to the Dog Day heat of summer. It has fragrance from bright yellow flowers in late January and bonus blooms all during the year. The foliage is green in all seasons. The Jasmine can be trimmed and shaped in all seasons and tolerates all kinds of weather extremes. You can purchase them at nurseries and they come in two- and three-gallon containers. We have one on the edge of the garden that is 15 years old. They are definitely an investment in beauty, foliage, and fragrance especially in the season of winter. Their fragrance in winter is sweeter than honeysuckles of spring.
Waking up the sleeping lawnmower
The riding mower, push mower, tillers, leaf blowers, and weed trimmers and vacuums need to be started and run for a few minutes every week during the winter. Do not drain gas from this equipment but keep filled so you can start them and warm them up once a week. Keep plenty of two cycle fuel mixed for engine protection and easy starting. Start mowers and allow them to run for several minutes until the engine warms up. It is also beneficial to disengage the blade on the riding mower and drive it around the lawn several times to circulate fluids and moving parts. If you have a riding mower, you may want to invest in a canvas cover for extra cold weather protection. You can purchase them at Lowe’s or Home Depot for around $20.
Frozen sod good for winter garden
Frozen garden soil is not that bad of a thing for the garden plot because it will kill morning glory seeds, weed seed, wintering insects and other fungal diseases that hinder growth of productive plants in the spring garden. Most cold weather vegetables are covered with a blanket of leaves or mulch and will endure the blast of winter sleet, ice, snow, and north winds.
A cool thing to do on a winter afternoon
It is a good thing to stay active during winter. Whether it is spending an hour or so on the front porch with a cup of coffee or a Mountain Dew or watching the crows and squirrels or birds at the feeders and birdbath, or picking Siberian kale from the winter garden, harvesting a few turnips or shopping for a few Valentines for kids, grandkids, and special people or a sweet wife. A cold afternoon is a great time to check out the garden shops that are coming to life in hardwares, nurseries, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Walmart. You can purchase vegetable and flower seed by the packet and store them for the spring garden. You can also purchase four-pound bags of Garden-Tone, Plant-Tone, Flower-Tone, Tomato-Tone, and Rose-Tone organic plant foods. Saint Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks away, so you can purchase gifts of stuffed animals, gift cards, flowers, money cards, candies, restaurant and fast food cards. Make the most of it and get exercise at the same time.
A half hour of extra daylight
Since the first of winter in December, we have now gained an extra half hour of daylight. We can say this is a sign of spring and the birds are the first to take advantage of the extra daylight. They seem to be a little more active at the feeders and crows are making more noise.
Pansies are colorful on the winter porch
The pansies in January are an extra bonus of winter flowers, colors, and foliage. Cold temperatures do not bother them very much, they just bloom and bear it. Their bright colors of purple, white, lavender, yellow, pink, and bronze brighten up the days of winter.
The mother of a cold winter storm
On a mild January day when the sky is blue and the temperature reaches 53, buckle your seat belt because a winter storm may be brewing. It is often said that a fair January day can be the mixing bowl for a brewing winter storm. This could well be true because in just a few hours a winter storm can blow in from the Gulf or Mexico or the North wind can blow in a cold and icy blast.
A bowl of Carolina strawberry snow cream
As the North wind blows, when will it blow in a heft snow? We don’t know, but it could be any day. Get things in order to make a bowl of Carolina strawberry snow cream to enjoy when the kids come in from sledding and making a snowman. To prepare this snow cream recipe, thaw a quart of frozen Carolina strawberries and mash them up or run through the blender in “grate” mode and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat three large eggs, add one and a half cups sugar, one tablespoon vanilla flavoring, two cans evaporated milk, two cups milk, the thawed, grated strawberries. Beat the eggs and add sugar and beat until creamy, add milk and all other ingredients and mix well and set aside. Find a clean, undisturbed spot of snow in the yard with no footprints anywhere, scrape off the top layer and scoop up a pan full of fluffy white snow. Keep adding the harvested snow to the large bowl of snow cream mixture until it reaches the consistency of ice cream. You can freeze what remains. Eat slowly because snow cream is very cold, but great! Memories are made of snow cream. My mother was a snow lover and it did not take much snowfall for her to make a batch of snow cream. Her very favorite spot to harvest snow for snow cream was the top of the coal pile in the backyard. She always made vanilla snow cream.
Rose bushes in the cold dead winter
Roses are very much alive in the dead of winter. As we move farther into winter, the rose bushes can use a little tender loving care. A fresh layer of crushed leaves for protection from winter extremes and a small drink of liquid Miracle-Gro rose food to give them a boost. Large canes and spent blooms as well as rose hips should be removed. If an ice event comes, take the broom and sweep and knock the ice from the rose bushes. If we have a heavy snow, sweep it off before it weighs down the bushes. As we move toward February, add a handful of Rose-Tone organic rose food to the bushes and then recover with crushed leaves.
Valentines Day only three weeks away
The day of hearts, flowers, and candy is only three weeks away. All the florists are decked out with roses, containers, and potted flowers. The big box stores are well-stocked with candies, potted plants, gift cards, money cards, jewelry, perfume, and other gifts. Restaurants also offer gift certificates that make great gift. If you run out of Valentines gift ideas, a plastic gift card for a certain amount will always be a practical gift.
Preparing for a heavy January snowfall
January has reached past the halfway point and we are looking forward to a huge January snowfall that covers the garden plot and cool weather vegetables, the lawn, the woodlands and countryside with a blanket of white. Nothing cleanses the air and beautifies the landscape like a January snow.
Hoe hoe hoedown
-“Stir Crazy.” Brad: “Remember you suggested I send that pretty girl at work some flowers and ask her over for a home cooked meal?” Chad: “Yes, I do remember that.” Brad: “Well, I did and I was totally shocked. She insisted on washing the dishes.” Chad: “And whats wrong with that?” Brad: “We had not started eating yet.”
-“Wrong cure!” Doctor (to mother): “I will need to see little Jonnie again in a month. But, you, mom, also need help. You are far too upset and worried about your son. Here are some tranquilizers, take them each day until I see you next month.” Mother: “Well, alright, if you really think I need them.” Doctor (one month later): “So, how is Jonnie doing?” Mother: “Who cares!”
-“True clue.” A rumor without a leg to stand on will usually find some other way to spread.
-In the garden. A gardener learns more from a bad harvest than a good one.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com