January 21, 2006

It was 60 degrees yesterday, I took all the houseplants outside for some air. They appreciated the thought.

Rain today. I still have a couple hundred columbine plants begging to be transplanted from the seed bed.

I portaged several wheelbarrow loads of manure out to the mountain garden, pulled several armloads of japanese honeysuckle on the way with each trip. When I get enough area cleaned up, I'll be able to plant more shade garden. I have an incredible amount of bulbs that are taking up space in the vegetable beds which will look good along the path to the mountain garden.

So...Is anybody else winter gardening?

Fresh mustard greens from the mountain garden last night. We've been eating fresh lettuce for a week or two. Now, if the carrots would hurry up! I don't want to rush the cold though, I'm still getting tomatoes, the peppers haven't changed colours yet. My hot peppers did so much more in GA. I grow a variegated pepper that's crossed with a bunch of other hot peppers so there tends to be some variation among the plants...some are hotter, some peppers are different shapes...I even crossed in a variety that comes up as a volunteer in the spring from dropped peppers. I planted them a little late though, being unsure of the weather. Now it feels really cold in the morning to me, I fear that frost will be showing up entirely too soon.

Last month, I made another trip down to my home in middle GA to rescue what I could from the house and garden that I built. What plants I rescued have been interred. I've been working up new beds at the mountain garden and along the footpath through the woods.

I've also been working in a new client's yard in the area. I turned soil in her yard and worked in soil conditioner (horse manure) Then planted the red grass, she's been inter-planting pansies in the nice loose soil. I told her that when I was done with the new flower bed, she'd be able to plant with her bare hands! She was favourably impressed.