Confusement
January 10th, 2008 by Kristin Green
I think winter’s gone upside down for the moment. Less than a week ago I posted this about an honest to goodness arctic-like morning where my fingers felt like they might fall off and I couldn’t hide my nose deep enough in my scarf to keep mean Jack from biting. This week the temperatures in RI have risen into the 60′s. Weird. I’m not inclined to complain – the other day I worked in the potting shed with the outside door wide open while the greenhouse vents flapped up and down (they’re set at 75 and 80 degrees F, I kid you not). It’s pleasant to walk out in less than eleven layers of clothing. The smell of thaw outside is gorgeous and sweet and I want to suck it all up and wear it like perfume. Birds are singing, the bees have been out for a stretch and still-fat squirrels are racing all around. The weather is perfect for winter walks and wildlife sightings (hawks have been circling overhead). I like it. But it’s weird.
I’m nervous for the spring flowerers. If you were a bud wouldn’t you want to swell to burst in this weather? The Forsythia are still wrapped but the Quince is showing an awful lot of green… And the Witch-hazel buds might open soon.
The unseasonable warmth can induce a gotta-get-out panic in gardeners too. It’s ok. Relax. It’s not time to cut the garden back yet. Instead, go for a walk and look for buds, keep perusing the seed catalogs and start thinking about fertilizing your houseplants again. The sun is out again today so I gave half-strength fish emulsion (Neptune’s Harvest, 2-4-1) to our big potted flowerers like the Camellias, the citruses and Gardenia and to particularly anemic looking other things. In another couple of weeks on another sunshine day, I’ll feed the whole greenhouse (except the Sweet Olive -Osmanthus fragrans- which, we found out recently, prefers starvation).
Tomorrow the forecast is calling for rain and thunderstorms. Thunder in winter? – Weird. After that maybe it will start to feel like January again.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Thunderstorms in Winter may be odd, but stranger still is thunder during a snow storm. That happens once in a great while around here. What makes it even stranger is usually when that happens, we haven’t heard thunder for over a month. I’ve already gotten used to warmer temperatures. Now, it’s 34F & I’m shivering. I’m just waiting for the weather to return to normal (whatever that is).
January 12th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I heard the ‘boomers’ yesterday also! Weird! Spring is coming though and it is time for a trip to Logee’s! Wanna come?
January 13th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Hi Kris, I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and I am looking forward to another year with your garden. It certainly was a remarkable January Thaw this time. We are forecasted for 6-12 inches of snow for Sunday into Monday so it was pleasant but brief respite from winter. I have to say I love your reflection pictures those are super.
January 14th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Mr. McG’s D, Thunder during snow would be the oddest thing! It’s supposed to be sultry and steamy when it thunders! We’re getting buckets of snow now but no electric drama along with it…
Layanee, Did you go to Logee’s?? I love that place and I have a Christmas gift certificate to use there!
DF, Happy New Year to you too! We’re getting that forecasted snow now – you too? I’m kind of glad it feels like winter again but not so glad that I’ve been socked in the nose with another change-in-climate cold!
January 14th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
This is the Januaray thaw I’ll remember digging a “stream bed”. It may be the earliest outbreak of spring fever I’ve ever had. Hopefully it’s a mild case and a couple more days of digging (through a new layer of snow) will cure it.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Wiseacre, I would think a good dig in frozen ground would send you right to the couch for a long(er) winter’s nap!
January 17th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Flip-flopping weather here, too. We had much the same last January and it was not good for the gardens. I love the reflections photos!
January 17th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Thank you, Kylee! So far I think this winter’s flip flop hasn’t been as hard on the gardens as last years… (knock wood)