This is my official month off, sort of. I've been going through all my notes from last year, making a list of saved seed, getting all my orders ready and so on. I have my order in for bare root perennials, and a few more lilies, but I'm still waiting on one more catalog to come in before I send off the seed orders. I have made my "to do" list, and it's getting rather lengthy. There are people I need to talk with, and I have made a list of flowers that florists may be interested in, so I want to go and talk to a couple of them. I have given my gardening customers, all but one, my new price for this year, and was hoping some people would drop me, but they all said yes. I've decided not to do anyone without help this year, too hard and too time consuming. I'll probably still have to tell a couple people I can't do them this year. I've also been reading a lot of perennial books, as well as landscaping with perennials. I like to do some studying over the slack time, it keeps me inspired! And last but not least, I'm taking a watercolor class, starting next week. Just one day a week, but I"m very excited and a little nervous about it too. This guy is good! So it's intimidating at the same time. It should be fun. Oh yes, and everyday I say to my husband, 'It looks like good weather to start a greenhouse'.
Cheryl

Yep, it's seed catalog time. I keep wanting to try new varieties of cut flowers and have to remind myself, again and again, that I don't have anywhere to plant them until I get my front yard cleaned up and transfer some of the perennials into it. And I have to force myself to get going on planning my veggie garden (that's what will take up all the raised-bed space a lot of the flowers used to be in), get the right catalogs, and order the appropriate seeds. My sister (my former veggie supplier who is moving to Missouri) has already gone over her seed list and best suppliers with me, so I have no excuse. I love the fresh homegrown veggies, just can't seem to get interested in growing them!

The weather is ridiculous. The snow has been soggy and sparse and has appeared and disappeared many times during this unusually-warm, but very wet, winter. Yesterday and last night, we got that same steady-to-heavy rain Lizalily got, just a little later, with weirdly high temps and very high winds. There isn't a trace of snow outside at this altitude - I feel like I'm back in Northern California! The ski area is closed for high winds and TONS of new, drifting snow (they're 3,000 feet higher up at the base) for the second day in a row. I think the ground here has thoroughly thawed out. Everything is sodden and dripping, and the rivers and creeks are up. All the low-lying fields are flooded, months earlier than usual. Those fields are a huge nesting ground for migrant waterfowl in the spring, when they're normally flooded. There are an unusual lot of Canada geese here already, probably fooled by the warm weather. I hope they don't make nests, only to be frozen out and covered with snow again! For my perennials' sake, I'm also hoping the ground doesn't freeze up again until some of the water has drained. And I'm glad I don't live in a flood zone.

Jeanne

Same here on the weather. Today, what little snow we had left, melted and it's raining. We also might get a thunder shower tonight. Really weird. But I still keep thinking that could all change in no time at all. This is the first winter since we've been here that this has happened. I'm not complaining, just don't want to get used to the idea. An early spring sure would be nice though, it could even make having tulips for Mothers day possible!
Cheryl

I've been ignoring all of you for several weeks because I'm not going to be growing any more and I'm still in the decluttering/beginning packing process here.

But one day this week I got four or five seed or plant or garden decoration catalogs, then the next day some more, and I'm getting wistful!....

So I dropped by and now I'm seeing flower cart pics on the other thread, and seed ordering thoughts on this and other threads, and again, I'm wistful!

I NEED to be outside ALL the time now because I'm trying to dig up & repot my irises and at least some of my daffodils. And a good bunch of the iris have been transplanted. WE don't have ANY rain, we've been in a drought for 6 or more months, it's the driest year for nearly all of Texas in decades, lakes are WAY low, and temps are in the 60's and 70's, some days even the low 80's! But, when I'm outside, I think of the packing/decluttering/ that needs to be done, and when I'm inside, I'm thinking of all the garden stuff that needs to be done, and I'm in a dither!

I've ignored my field for a few weeks, too, except to occassionally dig up iris or daffs. This week I glanced at some rows and saw lily bulbs trying to emerge. Now I'm going to have to water them because their tips are already turning brown! Dang! If I'm far behind on the irises and daffs, then I don't have any more time to be digging up the lilies and aliums I'd hoped to get to.

Got a mailer from a fabulous retail nursery near Tyler, south of me, yesterday, and they were promoting "pre-order your larkspur and poppy plants now, for March delivery", and I went "ooohhh, maybe I should sow some larkspur just in case......".

Well, I swatted my hand at that thought. If we ever get any rain, I'll have tons of self sowed ones coming up, and that'll have to do.

I'm HOPING we can at least be listed by Mid- Feb, to early March, and gone some ? time after that, but Murphy's Law being what it is, I'm sure we'll be here for a while! .....
So, maybe I'll have some daffs, iris, lilies and larkspur to sell to my florist after all! And random 2nd or 3rd year tulips.

The weathermen are saying we MIGHT have a SLIM chance of SOME rain late Sunday night into Monday morning, but until that happens, could you rain soaked people put on the fans and blow it down here? LOL! Many parts of the state have had BIG grass fires in recent weeks. We even had a small one just in front of my neighbor's house this week. Fortunately, the county or state is doing road work on the access road right in front of us, so one of the guys w/ a bulldozer put it out w/ his machine. We live in an oak forrest here and everything is DRY!!!!!. My neighbor keeps his yard clear of leaves, but he sitll has trees, and my yard & forrest area are COVERED in fall leaves. Could've been dicey if the road crew wasn't here. I did call 911, but I guess the FD checked w/ the road crew, cause I never saw a FD truck.

Well, that's all the (way too much!) news in the "way southern" part of "Lake Woebegone"!

SusiQ

Re the drought: last night the Dallas TV had a report warning homeowners NOT to be watering their yards/fields, because since the lakes are already very low, watering now could put us in a water rationing mode in the winter, as oppposed to occassional rationing times in the summer. They said water use is already 40% above normal right now! And also, that it might take YEARS to refil the lakes to a good level! Wow! That's NOT good!

SusiQ,
Usually when the weathermen paint a real doom and gloom picture, just the opposite happens! I hope that's the case where you live. It sounds like you're way too busy! Hang in there, we'll try and send some wet stuff your way. I'm just worried that if these temps keep up, my tulips are going to come up, and then I will be in trouble. Tomorrow will be near 48, same Saturday, and 52 on Sunday! Then we should get a blast of arctic air to make things normal. I hope so.
Cheryl

SusiQ

Wish I could send some wet stuff your way. We are now in our 26th day with measureable rain. The river in front of our house is raging -- fortunately we are located on a high bank and no concern with flooding. My hubby and friends put up their elk shack down on the river to use as a fish shack, and it is now gone. In addition to that, our septic system gave us problems yesterday because the water table is so high, and our roof started leaking around our bathroom skylight. I'm afraid a lot of people that have clay soil and left their dahlias in are going to be disappointed. It's been quite a year already. Hopefully Mother Nature will get the rain out of her system now so she doesn't do it in April when it's time to plant, like last year. Good luck to you.

Teresa

Oh dear, my dahlias! Theresa, should I go dig them up now? THere is not standing water where they are but the ground everywhere is supersaturated as you well know. OR should I just pray for it to cease and desist and go water Texas for a while!

Sure glad we are on high ground here! My draiange area is backed up and the outer row of my orchard has been in standing water for the last 4 days. That can't be good for it!

My DH got me a wonderful Christmas gift. All the back issues and subscription to Growing for Market. He also got me the book "We're Going to be rich!". So, I've been busy reading and marking all kinds of pages. I've got lots of good tips and plant recomendations from them.

I have nearly everything plotted out and ordered. I still need to get my lilies and some plugs ordered.

I have a source for forcing crates and will pick them up after they use them for tulips. I,ll use them for lilies. I'm running out of room here and that'll free us some space.

Looking forward to the new season!
Patty

Loving life and loving woody trimming. This time of year I can make 10 times the money I can on flowers, by doing wreaths. Between now and May we will make close to 5,000 wreaths.

Still I am dreaming of spring. Seeds are in and the boys will start to sow in a few weeks. They are loving life too. Their friends keep calling asking for jobs after the boys told them I paid them $25 a hour to help me trim.

Hope all is going good with everyone!!

Enjoying the last few months of winter in Utah.

Bryan