We are located 3-1/2 Miles East of Jamestown, and 4-1/4 miles West of Interstate 71, on Old Route 35.
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21 February 2010

Dear Gardening friends,

Oh my.  There's an accumulation of slowly moving snow and icicles, some of which are actually curved, creeping off of the north-facing roof and which looks, for all intents and purposes, like a large, malevolent and spike-toothed creature bent on devouring the house AND its inhabitants. See what a long winter will do for your imagination.  Would that I could imagine spring with such vividness!

Actually, my imagination concerning spring runs more along the lines of: how many plants will all this soaking kill as it melts and saturates an already-wet ground?  Old enough to recall REAL zone 5 winters, my memory is clear on how many things surprised us all by surviving the winter of '94-'95 when it got to 27 below in the middle of the city (Columbus) and how many were killed off the following year when it wasn't nearly so cold but very, very wet in January.  In spite of my apparent complaining, I know that I will be grateful for the increase in ground water as a result of all this precipitation and hope, in spite of been quite tired of looking at it, that it will melt slowly and soak in so it can be available when we will probably need it next August.

I have been unable to exercise enough discipline to start planning any planting in the garden for this year!  Oh yes, I have a long wish list, but I always have a long wish list!  Knowing full well that getting everything on it purchased and planted is well beyond current mortal capabilities, I will need to decide what makes the most sense in a few months - and that is where the discipline is needed!  So the issue is avoided for now by tinkering with the plans for some long over-due 'hardscape' - known as garden structures: trellises, arbors, benches, pergolas and the like.  This is the year to put some in, before the surrounding plants get so big that the digging process damages roots.  Based on the way the arthritis feels today, it will be the benches that get built first!  Plant-wise, this is the year to put in some hostas.

There is finally enough shade for protection and the plants I bought as young-ins a few years ago are getting too big just to haul around in pots anymore.  They will require more than the normal sized holes, but then, it will also be almost like instant garden in some areas.  (How many of you recall the 'garden make-over' shows on the HG network of a few years back?  There was always some hapless couple, looking sufficiently forlorn to merit sympathy [not from me] who were begging for help with their yard.  I always wanted to jump into the TV, shake them seriously and say, "Why don't you try picking up the trash and toys, watering and mowing the grass, pulling the weeds, and generally straightening up the place? You might be surprised at the results.") 

Well, 'big hostas' is about as close to instant garden as will ever happen here!  Winter came so early that I didn't even have enough time to place the all of the bagged leaves in the garden; they ended up being tarped over with old greenhouse plastic in the hope that they would remain un-soaked until spring.  There are also three very large piles of already mulched leaves awaiting transfer to various planting beds.  Now, if I was hoping for anything to happen instantly, there they are.  Especially four weeks after a hernia repair.  One must assume that one will be so grateful for nice weather that such projects requiring major effort will not be faced with reluctance.... we'll see.  First, the starter on the small tractor needs repaired (it dates from 1965, but is a Cub Cadet of vintage-type and worth keeping) and then a smaller trailer/cart built (the original is now too large to easily maneuver in the garden - it wasn't a problem 7-8 yrs ago when the first trees were going into a basically barren landscape).  Of course, the starter gave out on the tractor the same day the gears blew on the riding mower; can't remember if it was the same day I discovered the hernia.  Probably. 

Three weeks ago the daffodils were already up in a eastern-facing bed next to the house - let's hope they know something we don't!

CJ