January
2, 2002
A New,
Fresh, White Start
January is here and we are experiencing our first
snowfall. The boys awoke this morning with sheer delight in
their voices loudly hollering up the stairs to awaken us with
"It snowed, it snowed!" Kevin and I have a
skylight in our bedroom so we could see the snow softly falling
from the sky. Noah (5) wanted to immediately put on his
snow gear and build a snowman. It's a little difficult to
tell a 5 year-old that there is barley enough snow on the ground
to make a snowball. After minutes of prodding I said
"OK", jumped out of bed, put the snow gear on and out
we went. Jacob (3) had decided that it was too chilly for
him to be outside, snow or no snow. Our loyal dog Sam
Parker accompanied us for his morning walk and was delighted with
the white stuff called snow. I must say that it is always
so much fun to watch a dog run and snort through the snow and
that is exactly what he did. Noah was laughing out loud
because Sam Parker was sporting a beard of snow on his
chin. Although Noah liked the snow he did not like the
cold. After about 15 minutes he said that it was time to
turn around and head for home. He had decided that if there
was not enough snow on the ground for making snow balls and a
snow man that he could just as easily stay inside and view the
landscape from the warmth of the family room. He is my
child. I am not fond of the cold. I like the snow as long
as the temperatures hang around in the 30's with no wind
chill. Nothing wrong with wanting a perfect outdoor
environment. If it can't be Spring, Summer or Fall than it
might as well be bearable. Don't you agree?
For all of
you procrastinators, this is last call for the Philadelphia
Flower Show. The deadline has passed to take advantage of
our group rate but if you are still wanting to go call Mariann
Vandenberg, 913-648-0858 or email Travelberg@aol.com.
She will be able to assist you with your reservations.
Kevin and I will be attending so don't wait any longer. We
would love the company of other Savvygardeners.
~
Shelly
Peek-A-Boo...
Some foolish bulbs and perennials may have been tricked by
our abnormally mild late-fall temperatures and started to sprout
new growth. Now that the bitter cold has arrived you can
bet they wish they'd stayed underground. Help them out by
gently tamping the soil at their bases and apply an additional
several inches of protective mulch to cover them. They
should be fine come spring.
Get To
Know Your Garden...
Start the new year right by keeping a daily gardening
journal. As an interesting record of the season's progress, use
a soil thermometer and check soil temperatures in your flowerbeds,
lawn and vegetable beds. Write them down each day.
You'll be amazed how much better you will "know" your
garden after making this a daily ritual.
Asking
About Ashes...
A common question this time of year concerns the spreading of
wood ashes from the fireplace into the garden. Many
gardeners have heard that wood ashes increase soil pH.
While this is technically true it would take very considerable
quantities to have any significant effect on pH. Just spread them
as evenly as possible and try not to overdo it.
Pruning
Oak Trees...
January is a good time to prune your oaks. The trees are dormant, pruning wounds
will not bleed, and the insect vectors for oak wilt disease are
inactive. When you feel like it's not too cold to get
outside and work take your pruners and saw and clean up those oak
trees!
Wired
For Winter...
If you planted new trees last fall check any guy wires you
may have used to secure them. Stakes may need
to be re-secured if they have been heaved out of the soil by
frost. Also, make a note to remove the guy wires in spring after root growth
has started. Trees that move with the wind grow stronger than those
supported for too long.
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Boughs
For Beds...
Most of our readers are no doubt disposing of a Christmas
tree in the very near future. Why not put that tree to some
beneficial use? Evergreen boughs are great insulators and
can be effectively used as a mulching material on flower beds.
Even The
Snow Is Dry...
Don't be lulled into a false sense of precipitation security
by that meager snowfall we just experienced. Dry, low
density snow like yesterday's will generally yield about 0.1
inches of water per inch of accumulated snow. We received
about ¼ inch of snow. Do the math. We got nothing.
If and when
we get a good mid-winter thaw Savvygardeners will be the ones
giving their lawns and perennial beds a good soaking.
Finally... "Nature
chose for a tool, not the earthquake or lightning to rend and
split asunder, not the stormy torrent or eroding rain, but the
tender snow-flowers noiselessly falling through unnumbered
centuries." ~
John Muir, Writer, 1838-1914 |