(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to David Austin, Lady Emma Hamilton Rose, cold frame, seedling, weather on 2008-03-17, 16:08:00

The David Austin rose Lady Emma Hamilton from Harlow Carr last year.I was woken up on Monday morning by the door being brayed loudly. I stumbled out of bed after my last night shift to find a Royal Mail delivery of a large David Austin marked brown bag, about three foot tall.
Inside was a gorgeous bare root Lady Emma Hamilton rose bush. Ready to be planted in the garden when I work out where to put it.
A late birthday present from Cat, that had taken a few weeks to be delivered.It was supplied with a muddy recipt, and muddy roots.I can imagine the Guys digging out bare root roses from the ground, brushing the soil off the roots, ready to be packaged.They describe the rose as being the colour of Apricot and Copper. The scent was divine when I sniffed the Harlow Carr roses.
Its freezing outside now, down to minus four degrees centigrade. March is an odd month where the warmth and sunshine gives way to pouring rain and howling winds.The weathermen have predicted a late winter chill.
I refilled my cold frames paraffin heater, and took two tealight lanterns. One is in the greenhouse heating the air up, and one is in the cold frame on the opposite side from the paraffin heater. My strawberry plants and cabbages are looking healthy in the coldframe. The baby carrots and parsley have grown on.
The beetroot seedlings have darkened their stem colour after being exposed to light. I replanted my Bletilla Striata, the surviving bulb from last years failed attempt. The chilli plants have developed flower buds now, small but perfectly formed. They have overwintered well and should produce Chillies earlier than any plants started from seed now.
In the morning I will go upto the Allotment to try and dig two more beds. I want to buy a bin though for depositing weeds and grasses. I have no where to store them at the moment. I need to find a compost bin, or make one from wood when the weather improves. I think turning the cleared plants, weeds, and grasses back into rich organic compost is a good idea. It will all go back into the ground once it has been transformed into black gold.
I have two days off now, since I slept through Monday..Zzzz.I will need my muscles and energys in the morning to take on the wild side of Nature.

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Dirt, LOVE, Mr. Hyper, Sasha, animals, daylily, ferns, ghetto, grass, herbs, holidays, houseplants, pets, snow, weather, weekend, work, yellow on 2008-03-04, 07:02:00

28*, feels like 18*, 63% humidity, NE 12 mph wind, cloudy, FLOOD WARNING The thousand dollar dog is in big trouble. Mr. Hyper blamed the cats on getting into my ghetto grow light stand, knocking it down, eating my ferns, unpotting them, and eating most of the catnip plants soil and all. But I knew better. I was angry. I had been babying these plants, tenderly administering my love to them. I had

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Indiana, animals, birds, grass, snow, spring, weather, wind, yellow on 2008-03-03, 05:32:00

52*, 80% humidity, SSW 17 mph wind, light rain, FLOOD WARNING, FLASH FLOOD WATCH All the world, except for in shady patches, was revealed yesterday. Expanses of yellow lawn, sidewalks, and roofs were uncovered from their cold crispy blanket and mounded piles of snow. Then the wind began, late, near the midnight witching hour when the coyote crosses through the yard on his nightly hunt and when

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to California, Dirt, Flowers, Grow-A-Long Fun, Mr. Hyper, animals, birds, books, crafts, garden, hiking, leaves, rocks, seeds, snow, spring, veggies, weather, weekend on 2008-03-02, 06:14:00

37*, feels like 30*, 67% humidity, SE 9 mph wind, fair It's supposed to be 53* today later. I plan to take advantage of this nice weather, you can beet on it! I was thinking I should go to the heron rookery, to check out the nests today, as March is the best time to view the nest repairs without the confusion of leaves in the way. But Mr. Hyper, after seeing the pictures of the fun I had last

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Flowers, photos, poop, rocks, snow, veggies, weather on 2008-02-29, 07:28:00

33*, feels like 25*, 89% humidity, SSW 10 mph wind, cloudy I really am tired of having to say the S word. You know the one. I'm deep in the S. There is a whole new layer of it. But, there is hope! According to the forecast, we MAY hit 41* today. That would be freakin' awesome and the long term forecast sees us hovering at around the freezing mark instead of near 0*. That's freakin' awesome too!

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Indiana, Winter, animals, seeds, shrubs, snow, spring, veggies, weather, weekend, wind on 2008-02-26, 06:13:00

32*, feels like 20*, 87% humidity, N 18 mph wind, light snow So much for the taste of spring that we had last weekend! We are now covered in a blanket of snow again, with howling winds. it is said that this is the snowiest year in 30 years. All I know is this is the snowiest winter yet I've had since moving to Indiana. So, in protest and FAITH that spring will return in a timely manner, I sowed

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Winter, food, girlgonegardening, hiking, leaves, project, seeds, summer, veggies, weather on 2008-02-24, 05:55:00

20*, feels like 16*, 86% humidity, SSW 6 mph wind, fog, FLOOD WARNING If it seems like I'm posting a lot today, it has to do with the fact that I'm antsy. I'm waiting for the weather to warm up and then I will be going hiking, checking out some fens I have heard of by word of mouth up in the dunes. It's supposed to be above freezing today. I'd like to enjoy that so I'm willing to wait a while.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to blue Tit, weather on 2008-02-11, 13:06:00

Its nine o'clock on a Monday night. This is a Blue Tit from Saturday. It was so foggy and cold this morning. Only by lunchtime had the fog cleared for some winter sunshine.
Now its dark and the temperature has dropped to just above freezing. There will be frost tonight. All the plants have condensation on them ready to be frozen later. I could see my own breath outside.
Time for supper and an early night. I have more seeds come today to add to the collection of Veg seed for when the days are lighter for longer and warmer conditions.
More posts tomorrow..

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, house mouse, plans, weather on 2008-01-31, 09:12:00

It was foul outside today. Pouring rain, hailstones, and snow driven downwards and sidewards by the wind. I watched the hailstones ping off the fence and soil like pinball machines! The gusting Westerly wind blew upto 70 miles per hour. It is forecast for snow tomorrow when im at work and minus six degrees at night.
The diurnal mouse has removed all the seeds around the rose when i worked the two long days, and today was at the far end of the garden hiding behind the compost bin.
My biggest mystery is the Birds waterbowl under the Viburnum keeps getting emptied out. I fill it up to the brim, and when I check it is nearly empty and drained of water. There are no holes in the green bowl but something is either drinking it, or bathing in it!
The birds came back today despite the weather.
I hope at the weekend I can revamp the right border with a log roll. The new plan is to keep the pavers as they are, and used raised bag beds to grow the veg and potatoes.
The cabbage seeds are germinating in the cold frame despite the weather. The alpine strawberrys are growing slowly in the cold frame also.
I need the new borders ready by March. Most of my seeds are to be sown in March. I need to organise them into piles. Directly into the ground, and into seed trays. I have to stock up with three inch pots ready for my masses of plants to grow on.
Im writing brief notes in a Garden Journal to try and keep track of whats being planted when and where. I am in heaven with the amount of space in the kitchen to grow seeds in.
When the Weather drives you back into the house you begin to plan and dream of warmer days, and sunshine.

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Little Osa, Michigan, Mr. Hyper, Winter, food, girlgonegardening, holidays, houseplants, pets, photos, rabbits, weather, white on 2008-01-14, 17:58:00

25*, feels like 14*, 83% humidity, W 12 mph wind, light snow As you can see, our weather is back to normal seasonal winter crud. I was afraid my outside plants would start thinking that it was time to grow which would be disasterous. Yesterday I took the first step in raising my own meat here at GGG. Mr. Hyper and I drove up into Michigan to rescue a bunny that was heading for freezer camp with