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drippy_gw

How I can tell it's winter

drippy
12 years ago

The only way I can tell is that most of my perennials are still asleep. The 2011 WS calendula in my herb garden is blooming again, crazy thing. First 2-day freeze didn't kill the plant, and I doubt the one later this week will, either. I wonder if it will live another full season - I've always thought of calendula as an annual.

I do have daffodil foliage coming up, which I have been covering on those nights in the 20s, but most of the perennials are not showing signs of new growth yet. It's winter, even if warmer than usual.

Comments (16)

  • terrene
    12 years ago

    Well it's kinda hard to tell around here too, but I can tell because the ground is pretty much frozen and the bird baths are frozen in the morning. Otherwise there isn't a flake of snow anywhere. No bitter, howling winds. The temps are usually above freezing during the day. It has been a very mild winter for New England so far.

    You don't hear me complaining, it is nice to get a mild winter, especially after last year. The snow plow drivers and ski resort owners probably aren't as happy.

  • donn_
    12 years ago

    Howdy Drippy!

    I found some emerging bulbs today, too. The way I look at it is every warm day in January is one day Old Man Winter can't get back. The sun shines through the skylight in my boathouse, and the collection of killies where it hits the water is astounding!

  • gardenweed_z6a
    12 years ago

    My perennials are dormant but lots of their foliage is still plenty green. Daffodil fingers are poking up through the soil surface on the south side of the house but I have no way of knowing if they were doing it last year under the 8 ft. of snow that fell. Could be this is normal and since they've been coming up faithfully in the same spots for 30+ years, I'm guessing they know better than I do what they're doing.

    There are thin ice warnings and advisories posted all over the northeast because lakes and ponds aren't frozen yet. By this time last year the ice was a foot thick and the ice fishermen were camped out with their fishing poles & beer. Snowmobilers are fretting at their expensive toys sitting idle and the ski resorts are looking at fewer days in the black with each passing warm day. Lots of folks depend on cold weather and snow for their living. It's no guarantee of prosperity in recent years.

    Like terrene I'm not complaining if it means I get an extra week or two out of a tank of heating oil before I have to order it. I'd fire up my woodstove if I weren't low on seasoned wood. There's a mountain of newly fallen wood from the October storm but it won't be ready to burn until next winter.

  • PVick
    12 years ago

    Just remember that the official winter season is only about 3 weeks old. There's a lot of time left for the snow, winds and all else.

    I wish it woud make up its mind so that I can know how to dress from day to day ...

    PV

  • ladyrose65
    12 years ago

    My garden area is not hard at all. My feet sink down. I decided to put burlap on my roses, because of the freeze and thaws.

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    Hey, Drippy!

    Seems to be warm most everywhere this year. No complaints here, either.

    But I did see on cnn.com that parts of Alaska are buried in 18 FEET of snow.
    http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/09/alaska-town-digging-its-way-out-after-record-18-feet-of-snow/?hpt=hp_c2

    Karen

  • drippy
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I do not miss snow. A record 8.9 inches fell in AL last year - this New England girl laughed reading that - we've only had a dusting once this year, and that was enough for me.

    Temperature-wise, though, it will be winter here on and off for another 6 weeks or so, but by the end of February, it will start to get reliably warmer. And that is, for me, a very good thing.

  • beatrice_outdoors
    12 years ago

    After last year's record snow falls, I will take this weather, and keep winter sowing in just a long sleeve shirt and windbreaker! There is a dusting of snow this morning, though.

    If last year was a la nina year, I think this one is an el nino. I am trying to figure out if there is some sort of cycle to the two (I am sure there is, I just don't understand them yet) and what that means as far as record highs and lows and rain and snow. Freaky-deaky for sure.

  • fixerupperinnh
    12 years ago

    The ground in my yard is frozen. But yay no snow! I figure its because hubby actually got a snowblower and it's all set up at the back gate, ready to be put to work. That's the way things usually work out, right?
    Seriously though, I am glad every day that passes with no accumulation is one less day I have to drive in that stuff. This works for me. It is still cold enough for mother nature to do her thing, so I'm good.

  • bookjunky4life
    12 years ago

    I'm not complaining much either. Though I would like some snowfalls this winter. We had terrible ice/snow/cold for a long time last week and lost power for a week. That was not fun!

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    Hey PV, don't burst my bubble with that "we're only 3 weeks into winter" stuff. I'll take this any day.

    Supposed to be 53 degrees today. Turning colder, days in the 30s for about a week, then back to the 40s. I'll take this.

    Karen

  • trudi_d
    12 years ago

    It was low forties today. It's just a crappy winter. When I lived upstate in the Upper Catskills some of the local folk told me that to determine how bad winter would be I should look at squirrels. If squirrels had huge fat, fat fluffy tails then likely winter would be really cold--the squirrels wrap that tail around them to stay warm, so I thought this made sense. Right now, my local squirrels have skinny little boas, nothing seriously fat or fluffy. Winter is strange, for now I'm sticking with perennials, biennials, and hardy annuals. I'll hold off on the tender stuff until the very end of February.

    T

  • donn_
    12 years ago

    It hit 48ð in my garden today, and 55ð in my shop. The water temperature in the bay is still 43ð. I'm loving it!

  • fixerupperinnh
    12 years ago

    We got snow this morning. But still not much. The kids still have school, although everyone around us has either cancelled or delayed. But that's all right. One less snow day now means one less school day at the end of the year, when little attention spans get even shorter as the days get nicer.
    I am going to spend my day off sowing the old seeds I have left from last year. Even if I only get one or two to take, that would be better than throwing all of them away. I think those little seeds deserve a chance.
    Have a great day everyone!

  • donn_
    12 years ago

    If this were a normal January, temperature-wise, I'd have a foot of fresh snow this morning. Fortunately, it's in the high 40's and we've had over an inch of rain.

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    It's 40-ish here, yesterday's rain has ended. Temp is to drop 20 degrees this afternoon, 1-2" of snow and 40 mph winds, flash freezing on roads... glad I'm not working today. The afternoon commute could be ugly.

    Karen

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