[BrettTheOkie]

A new year has arrived, and with it a new gardening season! While I was outside today, contemplating taking down the Christmas lights, I also noticed that my daffodils have begun sprouting in my front yard flower bed:

Today of course is also Black-Eyed Pea day!

 

[FarmerChad]

I couldn’t help but notice that we have some spring onions popping up in our yard, here and there. But then our weather has been so mild, it’s no wonder.

 

[BrettTheOkie]

Although cold weather arrived early this season (mid-October), we have since had a very mild winter. Which is good I suppose, because it has allowed the Winter Rye Grass I sowed last fall to continue growing.

I didn't put any seed in the garden bed on the left because it is in perpetual shadow all winter, due to the southern fence. It's difficult to see even in this pic, due to the deep winter shadows. However, the other garden bed shows how well the grass has been growing.

 

[Weedinhoe]

Yep, warm spells of weather. There are a few dandelions blooming. Yesterday I noticed that the wild daffies out in the yard are up about 2". I put out markers around the patch to remind me not to walk on the.

 

[inMichigan]

No chance of dandelions here in Michigan

 

[n1d]

CAW!

No chance of dandelions here in Michigan

What is that white stuff? :taped:

 

[goat daddy]

I have been planting garlic here and there. the plan is to put in an 8 X4' raised bed with a hoop so I can get an early start this year.

 

[BrettTheOkie]

No chance of dandelions here in Michigan

We had a few flakes of snow here one day, maybe a week or so before Christmas. But that's been it so far.

They've gotten substantially more snow in NW Oklahoma this winter, but none recently that I know of.

 

[BrettTheOkie]

I've received only 2 seed catalogs so far this winter. Burpee has been spamming my email lately, but I haven't received an actual catalog from them.

I haven't ordered anything from R.H. Shumway for a couple of years now, and last year I didn't even receive a catalog from them. But one showed up in the mail again this year. I really enjoy browsing through their catalog, I like the 19th century style they use.

 

[BrettTheOkie]

Today I raked away the leaves from my flower bed, so that the daffodil shoots can get full sunlight exposure. I'm already marking some that have "migrated" further out than the area where I want to restrict these flowers to. That way, early next Fall, I will know where to dig so I can transplant the bulbs to back within their boundaries.

This winter has been so mild, one of my Gerbera Daisies in the same flower bed is already putting out new leaves.

 

[inMichigan]

What is that white stuff? :taped:

It's what temporarily kills the mosquitoes and many nematodes.
inMichigan

 

[BrettTheOkie]

Another sign of the very mild winter we're having, I saw a robin perched in my backyard tree this morning. It's difficult to see because I was in the front yard at the time, but it's there:

I took this pic this afternoon, of the waxing Moon rising and my rose bush in the foreground. The tree is across the street from me:

 

[BrettTheOkie]

Today I dug up the Fountain Grass which I had planted next to my mailbox last spring. I might need it this weekend to protect my Daffodil shoots, we might get some winter precipitation on Friday night / Saturday morning:

I was also out in the backyard today and my Squirrel Buddy came around to beg for some peanuts. Of course I obliged, but she moves so fast it's difficult to get good photos of anything:

 

[Weedinhoe]

Time to start thinking of a name for your squirrel buddy.

It will be interesting to see if any fountain grass reappears where you dug it out. They have a habit of doing that. It's one of those plants that insists on persisting!

 

[BrettTheOkie]

It will be interesting to see if any fountain grass reappears where you dug it out. They have a habit of doing that. It's one of those plants that insists on persisting!

It never does for me, at least not in that spot. I have to replant every year.

 

[BrettTheOkie]

We are almost certain to get winter precipitation Friday night/Saturday morning, so Friday morning I will be taking measures to protect the Daffodil shoots from any ice we might get:

Squirrel Buddy came around again today. I managed to get a pic of her taking a peanut I had given her, but she moves so quickly that it's kind of blurry:

This is NOT Squirrel Buddy, but another squirrel that comes around. I watched from indoors while it dug up some sunflower seeds that I assume it had previously buried in my potted Mums, and eat them:

 

[BrettTheOkie]

Snow is still in the forecast for Saturday morning, so today I covered up the Daffodil shoots with the Fountain Grass I dug up. It also occurred to me that branches from this year's Christmas Tree would help as well. I had dragged it outside last weekend, so I sawed off a few branches and added them to the pile.

Hopefully my efforts will pay off, because today I noticed that a second Gerbera Daisy was putting out new leaves, due to the very warm winter we've been experiencing so far:

And, as usual, Squirrel Buddy saw I was outside and came around to beg for peanuts:

 

[BrettTheOkie]

Well, despite the National Weather Service forecast, we got only the lightest dusting of snow at dawn this morning:

Overall, a cold, windy, overcast day with a windchill in the teens:

 

[BrettTheOkie]

The Daffodils and Daisies survived the cold snap, no problems. Not really surprising though, we got no ice only a trace of snow. However, winter is roughly only half over, so I will keep the Fountain Grass and Christmas Tree branches on standby, against possible future winter weather.

I had a new load of firewood delivered today, I was down to my last few sticks. However, as mild a winter as we've been having, I may not need much of it this season. But that just means that there will be a good amount ready, heading into next Fall.

 

[BrettTheOkie]

Today was a cold, foggy morning and the day was damp and dreary overall.

I went out this morning to take a pic of my weather station and the fog and just as I framed the shot, my Squirrel Buddy popped up over the fence. Of course, I had some peanuts in my jacket pocket, just in case.

It was such a dreary day that the doves, which normally come to feed around my bird feeder in the evening, were already showing up by mid-afternoon. They always sit in my tree for quite some time, before they decide it is safe enough to land and eat. They are ground feeders, and extremely wary. There are only 2 in this pic, but I typically have 6-8 which come to feed on a regular basis.