Category Archives: Winter Garden

February 5, 2023 · 3:11 pm

FIRST BLOOMS

So here we sit on a glorious

60 degree no wind

February Sunday afternoon.

It’s oh so tempting

To do something

Anything

In the garden.

But wait

There is still a bit more winter to come.

In a few weeks we can start planting

Cool season vegetable crops

Here in zone 7a.

All those cabbage teenagers

Will get happily planted

In there permanent homes.

But till then we need to calm down.

And wait just a bit longer.

So until then

You will find me in one of four

Hellebore patches

Cutting off the dead leaves

Making room for the very first

Harbingers of spring.

Welcome back.

Gail

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Filed under Hellebores, Winter Garden

Tagged as Hellebore

January 8, 2023 · 7:21 pm

AND SO IT BEGINS

While our gardens are taking their

Long winter’s nap

Most gardeners are dreaming of spring.

The volume of seed catalogs we receive

Only makes us yearn all the more

For those first few days

When we know winter is fading.

Over the last few years

I’ve been filling this void

With indoor seed starting.

Each year I get a bit better at it

But I still have much to learn.

This year I’m improving the light

Available for seed germination and growing.

Thanks to a generous gift of LED lighting

From my friend Jenny

And a Christmas gift of a seed starting station

From John

I have a new found hope

Of even better results.

The first thing up is always cabbage.

Here in zone 7a cabbage plants need to be out

Between February 15 and March 10.

So last week their tiny seeds

Hit the dirt – so to speak!

It felt good to have my hands in soil again

Even if it came from a bag.

I’ll start Italian Parsley and Basil this week for Faith Farm

And a winter lettuce crop for myself

Since the pre-Christmas -20 wind chill

Took out all that was planted in the ground.

I think of gardening as one grand experiment.

Often pushing the limits

Or defying the “rules”.

I’ve accidentally done that this year

With the fact that the last of the spring flowering bulbs

Are just now going into the ground

Taking full advantage

That is the grace of God’s great earth.

Gail

1 Comment

Filed under Basil, Cabbage, Community Garden, Gardening, Herbs, Lettuce, Oklahoma Gardening, Seed Catalogs, Seeds, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Winter Garden

March 13, 2021 · 12:08 pm

REUNION

On the evening of Dec. 31st

I received this text

From my friend Debra.

What ensued was sheer joy.

John & I signed up.

Then we both started spreading the word

To everyone we could think of.

Helping them get an appointment.

The result was

We received our first vaccination on Jan 4th

Which meant we were totally vaccinated

By the end of the month.

It felt like a miracle.

I was giddy to say the least.

Debra and I normally get together

For photo sessions in my garden

On a regular basis.

Needless to say

It’s been awhile.

We spent winter Wednesday mornings together

Over Google Meet

Doing things.

Most of them involved butter & flour & more butter.

Teaching each other to bake

Some tasty favorites.

Just as the time was arriving

For a safe real visit

The Polar Vortex hit.

With endless days in the single digits

And below

I wasn’t sure

There would be a spring garden

To share.

But nature is perhaps the greatest

Of all survivors.

So yesterday

We had a REUNION.

Even the 100% chance of rain prediction

Couldn’t stop us.

Debra came with camera in tow

And of course her famous

Chocolate Chip Cookies.

We hugged.

We talked.

We ate.

And through the mist

She captured early spring miracles.

She loves buds

And curvy lines

So this tree peony bud

Spoke to her.

It speaks to me on many fronts.

We are, like this bud,

Slowly emerging

From the darkests of winters.

With some part of us

All curvy and pink

And ready to party.

Her posts on Instagram @debrasuemitchell

Always include a quote.

“When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden.”

Minnie Aumonier

I hope if you are not vaccinated

You will have that chance soon.

And thank you to the Garfield County Health Department workers.

You have done such a remarkable job

Gail

HOLD ON

Just when I think

The darkness

May overcome me

This!

Hold on

Spring’s coming.

Take care of yourself and stay safe,

Gail

4 Comments

Filed under Hellebores, spring, Uncategorized, Winter Garden

January 19, 2020 · 5:51 pm

WAITING

In the cold and snow of winter,

There’s a spring that waits to be,

Unrevealed until it’s season,

Something God alone can see.

Natalie Sleeth

WHERE DO GARDENERS GO IN WINTER?

Usually by the time of the first killing freeze

I’m ready to hang up my pruners.

I’m fortunate to live in a place

With a long growing season.

But I do appreciate the break winter brings to me.

First freeze is normally followed by

A flurry of holiday activity.

So by the time we ring in the New Year

I’m ready to settle in with a good book

And the multitude skeins of yarn I plan to whip

Into something fun for H & H.

Along about now I begin to get itchy.

I’ll step into the garden on a sunny afternoon.

Looking for the first bud on the Hellebores.

DSCN0574

Or I’ll take a slow walk around the garden looking for

Daffodil and Tulip noses peeking out through the frozen earth.

Last weekend I found both.

I instructed them to retreat

Knowing the “polar vortex” was coming.

Fortunately, I’m far enough south that they will survive.

So far during this colder than usual winter

I’ve been able to dump bagged leaves into a compost area.

Organize my endless supply of deadheads and saved seeds.

And, of course, order more.

Seeds that is.

I’m planning to try some new annuals to add to my standards.

China Aster is the one I’m most excited about.

We’ll see if those big fluffy blooms are in my future.

So where do gardeners go in the winter?

Mostly inside their heads

With the help of endless seed catalogs.

And flower farmers Instagram feeds.

It’s a busy season.

Happy garden dreams,

Gail

1 Comment

Filed under Daffodils, Hellebores, Seed Catalogs, Seeds, Uncategorized, Winter Garden

April 7, 2014 · 12:59 am

EMERGING HOPE

The last few weeks I’ve spent removing the blanket of leaves from my garden.

It’s a tedious but necessary task.

Last fall John mowed up the leaves from the yard

And dumped them on my garden.

It’s a natural way to protect the garden from winter.

I’m grateful he took the time to chop and distribute all those leaves.

But once spring begins.

It’s time to remove the blanket

And let the sunshine in.

This is not a quick haphazard job.

It needs to be done carefully

To protect the tender shoots

Emerging from their winter’s sleep.

The new life that is sprouting forth.

As a result I spend hours on the ground

At eye level

Observing miracle after miracle.

Nurturing the garden

And my soul.

Each spring I am in awe of this process.

What may look like a garden of dirt one week

Will quickly begin to unfurl

With hope.

And hope does not disappoint us.

Gail

ANTICIPATION

Remember that old ketchup commercial?

An upside down bottle

Cap off

Carole King singing “Anticipation” in the background.

But the ketchup just wouldn’t come out.

This spring feels like that ketchup.

It just can’t get started.

And so we awoke this Palm Sunday morning

To yet another snow.

After all it is still March!

But I’m just a little anxious.

The fact that I’m having the church Easter Egg hunt next weekend

And my yard hasn’t even been scalped

Is driving me just a bit!

So today I did a little “snow gardening”

Yes, it was cold.

And windy.

But after putting on tights, pants, sock liners, socks, boots, wool sweater, coat, glove liners, gloves & ear muffs

Combined with sunshine and a wind block.

It was pretty toasty out.

Smiling violas kept me company

Just waiting for companion tulips to appear

The leaves were wet with snow

But they rack up just like dry ones.

And there is life beneath.

The hope of spring

Of garden days to come.

Of blooms to breath in

And share

Of life!

Sunshine’s on it’s way.

Enjoy the week.

Gail

5 Comments

Filed under Easter Egg Hunt, Forsythia, Hellebores, Rake, spring, Uncategorized, Viola, Winter Garden

February 19, 2012 · 1:29 am

Winter Garden

February 2011

There’s a stillness about the winter garden.

A slower pace.

Quiet.

I love that

I need that

So on a recent sunny January day I spent some time strolling

It’s a hopeful journey.

Daffodils sticking their noses up.

Larkspur running amuck

Greening up everywhere.

My mystery perennial fern bigger and greener

than it ever was last summer.

But the brightest sign of hope…

The first bud on Helleborus

An amazing plant that is always the first to show new life in my garden.

It’s still time for the garden to rest.

For this gardener to rest.

To stroll quietly through the garden

To putter in the garden house

To contemplate the season to come

Time to study OK drool over the catalogs clogging my mailbox

For now…

Quiet time

Hopeful time of things to come.

Gail

2 Comments

Filed under Daffodils, Ferns, Hellebores, Larkspur, patience, Uncategorized, Winter Garden

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