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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

No chance of dandelions here in Michigan

 

CAW!



What is that white stuff? :taped:

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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:

 

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:

 

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!

 

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.

 

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:

 

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:

 

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:

 

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.

 

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.

 

My potted Pansies and Violas are looking a bit bedraggled, but it's been such a mild winter that they're still blooming well enough.

Today was yard waste collection day, so it was time to finally say goodbye to this season's Christmas Tree. The city asks that you cut it in half before taking it to the curb, so that it's easier to collect.

Although the tree is now gone, I cut several branches from it to help protect my Daffodils against any future winter weather we might get, as I illustrated a few posts ago.

 

I was at Walmart today and decided to see how far along they were with stocking for the spring planting season. They are starting to fill the shelves in the seasonal / gardening section with all the usual stuff they have every year.

I did see some new metal wind spinners, so I grabbed a couple. I am a sucker for things like this, I couldn't resist. The ground stake is actually two pieces which fit together, I estimate they will stand about 2.5' tall.

 

We have a possibility of freezing rain this afternoon and evening, so I took the precaution of covering up my Daffodils and Daisies again this morning:

I think the wildlife is sensing the coming weather, they are feeding more than typical for this time of day. You can see one of my squirrels (this isn't Squirrel Buddy) and a bird on the ground. I don't know what it is, I just call them "Snow Birds". And once I went back inside, the Doves started coming down to feed as well.

 

I mentioned all the Doves coming to feed earlier, in this pic there are several in the tree in my backyard. This is mid-afternoon, they usually come to feed later in the day:

The freeze line stayed NW of here, but the rain has been falling off and on since around sunset. And although there is no ice, the temp has been hovering only just above freezing. So, it's a good night for a fire, and Spike seems to agree:

 

A cold, rainy day today. It has pretty much rained non-stop for almost 24 hours now. Not a heavy rain, just gentle showers. Still, that's a lot of rain for around here.

Since we didn't get any freezing rain, I uncovered the Daffodils today. But I decided to leave the Daisies covered for now:

This cool, wet weather has also been good for the Winter Rye grass in my vegetable garden beds:

 

The rain finally stopped earlier this evening, although there is still a wind-blown mist coming down. So far today, my weather station has recorded 1.32" of rainfall:

That's only since midnight, the rain actually started at sunset yesterday. For that time period, my weather station recorded an additional .88" of rain. So, added together, we've had 2.2" of accumulated rain since sunset yesterday. That's really a lot for around here, but I would say we definitely needed it. This winter has been mild, but also very dry.

 

This weekend is the OKC Home & Garden Show, I've gone every year since at least 1999. Well, except for when I was in Afghanistan, but that's another story...

The show was interesting, as always, but I didn't actually buy anything. Took a couple of brochures for businesses related to some projects I have in mind, but that's it. The exhibitors seemed more pushy than usual this year too. If it's something I have no interest in, I just act like I don't even hear them and keep walking. Sometimes it's not an act, I don't hear as well as I used to.

I did run into a couple of people I know from the Oklahoma National Guard there, one who just retired himself, he was actually my supervisor at one point. The other guy is still in. Except for one instance a few years ago, it's the first time I've run into anyone at the show that I know.

 

It does get people thinking about spring. That will either make them more antsy or temporarily scratch the itch. :

 

That's one of the reasons I've always gone, to get a mid-winter gardening "fix", if you will.

However, as I wrote elsewhere, I've learned not to jump the gun too soon. I really ought to get some kind of a small greenhouse though.

 

Nothing really new to report today, gardening-wise.

After being scarce for the last couple of days, I assume due to the wet weather we were having, the neighborhood squirrels were back feeding again today. There were actually 3 squirrels out there, but one ran as soon as it notice me. I assume one of these is Squirrel Buddy, but she only runs up to me if there are not already peanuts available in the feeder.

 

Today's weather was mild and sunny, so I uncovered my Gerbera Daisy shoots. However, I covered them back up again at sunset, the temp is supposed to get down into the 20s tonight and we have a chance of light snow on Tuesday night.

I never thought I would be playing mother hen to Daisies shoots in January...