Spring is supposed to be in the air

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but when will it arrive?

Yesterday, a few northern states had snow. I'd say it got close to 70 degrees here where I live. Simply a beautiful day for me, and one that I wish I could have spent outside instead of being shut up in the office. One good thing about being inside, I wasn't attacked by the 40mph winds of yesterday.

I spent about 8 hours (or more) outside Sunday. It was a beautiful day. Sun was shining, birds were singing. I planted 4 rose bushes, 72 various other bulbs, and sprinkled a little wildflower seed around where I wanted it to grow. I managed to even burn up some of the rotten dead wood that we have been trying to eliminate. Of course all of this occured between sessions of me hiding Easter eggs for my son.

Today, I awoke to about 64 degrees. A change is in the air as it has become quite windy again with winds out of the north. The skies have grow cloudy. Tonight and tomorrow night we are supposed to have a freeze.

Damn! Just after I figured it was late enough that I planted most of my bulbs (with the exception of my glads which I won't start to plant until end of April and on in to June). Hopefully I got them all deep in the ground so that they won't freeze. I really don't want to go and dig them up.

But then again, I probably won't have to dig them up. Seems like on of my large puppies went behind me and digged 70 of the 72 bulbs up (numerous times). I would tell her no and replant them. Well, yesterday when I returned home from work and went to take a look at the roses, I noticed that the Dahlia's were dug up again. Seems like a certain neighbor's dog was busy in my yard while I was away at work and my dogs were up for the day. (I had checked them before I left and know they were in the ground...)

I'm going to check again today, and possibly lay down a good layer of a strong crushed pepper to try to solve that problem. Someone suggested that I leave out a little ex-lax, but I don't think I'm ready to go there ... yet! (remember - said neighbor is the one that I think killed my other two dogs - a little runs for their dog... *grins wickedly*)

My peach tree is in bloom, and I'm afraid that I'll lose any possible peaches due to the late freeze. My cherry tree(s) have already bloomed, so I don't know if they'll be hurt that bad. My tulips are up and I'd guess a week from being simply stunning.

When is spring exactly supposed to be here, can you tell me?

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Answers

We missed winter again?

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Barefoot,

When I read your reply, I wanted to tell you guess which finger I have sticking up in your general direction. However, I miss the non- winters of Florida badly. Hope you enjoy the year round beauty that is Florida.

*make note to self - next property purchase will be in Florida. So I can't purchase 1000 acres, at least I'll be warm and be able to garden year round - end note to self*

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002


If I can get through all the tax forms this weekend I might stand a chance to start doing the level of gardening I only could have dreamed about a couple weeks ago. Fortunately I got farther in cleanup chores last fall than I should have, and there were some mild days in February, so I don't think I'm behind schedule yet. But there has been major road construction out front, including relocating my stone wall that has created a landscaping "opportunity" for me, if they ever finish the work out front. Not something I was expecting to deal with this spring.

And then there is my long time wish list for a very large replacement window in my bedroom to look out over my garden. Something I can consider now, although having my house torn apart doesn't appeal to me at the moment.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002


The house I recently moved into has all sorts of plantings, and many of them are bursting into bloom. There are two bushes which I thought were peonies, one with red flowers and one with creamy pink. But my mother says probably not, because peonies are late bloomers. Is there some other bush with flowers like peonies?

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Peter, would you please borrow Barefoot's camera and post a picture for us??

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002


Peter, peonies have a delicious fragrance...one of my very favorite. Your Mom is right, peonies generally bloom around Memorial Day, at least in the parts of the country I've lived in (KC and TX)... It seems to be a little too early for them to be azaleas, too...although maybe not.

How big are these flowers? Do they have a fragrance?

Here on the Hilltop, new wildflowers are announcing themselves daily...I hope in the next week or so to get some good pictures.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002


Barefoot,

I hope that you know that I was joking.

Brooks,

It is good to see you back. {{{Brooks}}}

Peter,

You must find out what it is.

Brooke,

Yes, you must take pictures!

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002


We have crocus blooming, would that mean spring is coming?? Help, please I really am going over the edge this year waiting for it to get here. Perhaps I should move down near my son in Fort Meyers, Fl? I don't know though, must think about it.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

My mystery bush has blossoms that look like big fat roses from afar (not roses, that's one aspect of gardening I know something about). No fragrance. I'm looking at one of the leaves, oval coming to a point, dark green, waxy.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Temps hit 70s today, but they'll drop back into the 40s tomorrow. The lawn is just beginning to green up.

I don't know where spring is . . . I have a bad feeling that we'll go directly into summer weather, once the next storm front passes.

I have 42 new 4' and 6' arborvitae (evergreen shrubs) to tend.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002



Peter, right now I'm stumped. Let me think about this for a while.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Could it be a type of Magnolia?

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Peter--is it a gardenia? Hate those things.

Brooks--a bay window so the cats have lots of viewing too, plus a window seat?

It's going to be 32 tonight. Was close to 80 yesterday.

Sweetie is back in Houston and has fallen ill. Horrible sore throat, cough, cold.

Finished the taxes after getting up in the middle of the night. Has to be done when I'm in the mood or I get a migraine. I was in the mood around 0300.

Am looking into geothermal heat pump. Looks good on the electric usage and free hot water much of the year. Hae a feeling electricity isn't going to go down in price this summer. Anybody got any thoughts?

Sorry this is all in one swell foop, things've been crazy and I think it's the new med, makes me even sleepier, not to mention dizzy, okay, dizziER, even less time to do anything. Starting today am cutting that med in half.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002


OG,

I have a geothermal heat pump on the house I purchased. I love it. Seems to help in the cooling costs as well as the heating. Mine isn't tied into the hot water though.

One thing to consider is the cost of installation. I'm not sure if your yard is large enough for them to install the pipes horizontal (cheaper but not as good), and most likely they will have to be installed vertical. The vertical installation costs more simply because they have to dig way deeper. With the horizontal, they only go down about 8', but have to have a huge loop. The vertical sometimes have to go down as far as 200 (or more) feet.

You should consider the costs of the installation and figure that into the overall savings. It may be years before you see any real gain.

apoc

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002


Thanks, apoc. Here they have to go down only 4-6 feet because of the warmer climate. I think we can go with the horizontal piping; we have a bit of room on that side of the house, have to see. Yep, installation may be high, have to see how it goes. But even a regular heat pump, without the pipes, will save us money over this horrible gas furnace and AC unit.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002


It has suddenly turned very cold and windy in Northern VA. Hope it doesn't screw up my budding and flowering plants.

I have been told that my mystery flowers are camillias (sp?).

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002


Peter, if it gets down to freezing, throw a blanket over your camellias, otherwise those lovely blossoms will turn brown and stay on the bush for a long time. Probably. Some drop their petals quickly.

When pruning after flowering, be judicious and use, um, we call them secateurs, you know, the little pruners. Don't just take the hedge trimmers and give them a buzz cut! Shape nicely and cut just above a two-leaf thingie. There's probably a treatise on camellia pruning if you search on Google.

Pests--gardeners' supply has a gadget that will turn on and send a stream of water at an interloper, costs about $70, probly worth it.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002


OG, thanks for the tips. I'm going to have to work on raising my gardening expertise from the zero level.

(I haven't done any gardening since my ex and I grew roses. That was a very enjoyable activity.)

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2002


I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw one of my roses had died over the winter. I need plants requiring less care, although mine are mostly the low maintenance type.

It was 29 here last night but I think that's the last of the cold weather. I did buy some tomato plants but didn't put them in the ground so was able to move them into the utility room without any fuss and bother of bubble wrap and blankets.

Have been a bit laid up for the last week so haven't done a thing on the yard. I really wanted to, the weather was great. Fingers crossed for this week.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2002


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