I'm not wintersowing this year either, just going to be too busy with wedding work this spring to spend as much time in the garden as I have the last few years. I'm missing the garden activity too, really wanting to get my hands in some dirt! My plan is to work on just maintaining the gardens this year. I want to get the beds mulched well and reduce weeding time, hoping I can come home after a long work day and actually enjoy the gardens rather than feeling guilty about neglecting them. We lost of couple of Bradford pears to ice and wind storms this year (they were mature when we moved here, so I knew it was just a matter of time, but they were so pretty in bloom I just waited till they had to come down), and I had a big wild cherry tree taken down, so I'll see some big changes this year with the infusion of sun to those areas. The wild cherry would have been ok to remain if it hadn't been for all the damn tent caterpillars! The tree was too big to spray them, and when the worms left the nests they would devour everything in the beds below.

That's kind of where I was last year, Neal, maintaining. I hope to get some work done this year. Here are a few pictures of what the gardens looked like (ignore the fact that a lot of the greenery appears to be grass!).

Lovely, Kathleen! I got so far behind on maintenance last year, I'm really good at ignoring the grass now, LOL.

I just go with the theory that if all those other grasses can be 'ornamental' so can perennial rye and orchard grass.

I know what you mean, Johnson grass is actually quite beautiful (and a big problem for me here). I sure wish it wasn't so aggressive though.

Our daughter in OH has a grass 'problem'. I pulled out some sedge last fall. Iris person in VA says she uses 'Manage' to destroy sedge. Anyone heard of it?

How do you think the extreme drought (if you were in it) will affect the perennials this year. Lots of people think a lot will be lost but I am thinking the glass is still half full.....

I'm not familiar with Manage. Is it good for tough grasses too? As a general rule I don't use chemicals, but Johnson grass is nearly impossible to keep under control- it grows over 2' in the orchard area between mowings!

Veronica, I've been astounded how well most of my perennials endured the droughts of '07 and '08, but I am a little concerned about them this time. Here it got really dry throughout late summer and fall, so everything went into dormancy in stress (not so good for winter survival) and now we've had this long, tough winter. Trying to remain positive though, so I'm with you, the glass is half full....at least, LOL.

She said that 'Manage' didn't work with grass. Another pruduct called 'Over the Top' has benn touted for grass & not touching other plants. I don't know who makes that one either.

I have some Over The Top, ready to use in the spring. It makes me nervous, but I'm going to try it.

What company makes it?

Ferti Lome.

Thanks I don't know if I can persuade John to buy any. Wouldn't it be nice if snow killed weed seeds?

Thats a great wish for the garden fairy.

I was wondering how long perennials can live under snow and ice? I think I have only seen the ground two days this year not covered with snow, and now Ice.
Some of my perennials stay green even in the winter but with no light??

I can tell you without a doubt most that are hardy to zone 5 will live from December to the end of March under 6 foot of snow, and inches of ice.

Just ask how I know, LOL.

A cover of snow brings neutrients. How can that be a bad thing.
Snow also keeps bunnies and deer from eating those green crowns.

and it keeps the plants at 32F for the winter. Even the evergreen plants survive it quite nicely, and pop up quickly after it melts, in April...

I'm hopeing to see the pre emerged(germinated) poppies survive because of the snow cover.

Yup, just ask us New Yorkers.