Predicting rain in my area so I'd better prepare for snow!

More raking and burning yesterday. I think I finally got the two trees that we cleaned up burned yesterday. If not my dogs will have them spread all over the yard.

It's been a while since we have been able to rake and burn. Hopefully there will be a moderate spring here, but there is no telling what will be.

The other day when I was out looking over the gardens, I noticed that there are quite a few leaves that I am going to have to rake up. I only have 2 trees one on each side of the house. I don't think I have ever raked up leaves from the lawn. The wind usually blows them into the beds along the inside of the property fence. But I noticed more in the lawn this year under one of the trees.

Jeanne,

As windy as it's been this winter, you may be raking leaves that blew in from the next county!

I would say also, be glad you only have 2 trees. We always have LOTS of raking to do when the weather dries out. .

Rose has a point, leaves can blow into your yard from trees not in your yard.

Yes, the wind has been awful and is a lot cause we are on the top of the ridge and it seems to always be breezy more or less. Sometimes the breeze is a good thing in the hot days of summer but it is also mostly annoying when I don't want it.

I didn't work outside today but I did work inside my garage with my potted Iris. They are doing pretty good despite the drought conditionss (my fault) and the aphid attacks. I can't wait to get them outside and thriving on their own in ground.

It was sunny today, but I couldn't get to the garden.

So I, also worked in my basement. I don't have any irises in there, but a few other things...

Those larger seedlings are delphiniums! I have never grown them from seed before...and many others. I did start them in December!

Why is it when we gardeners use the word "few" , we always know it's going to be a lot more than a few? It looks like you have a great way to spend your snowy days down in your basement.

Evelyn, your seedlings look so happy and healthy. What is the name of your potting mix/starting mix. I never have luck with growing from seed. Do you use heat mats under your seeds when you are starting them? Do you germinate them outside the soil first? Sorry for all the questions but I would like to give it a try again sometime.

It was sunny, so I put sunglasses on, closed my eyes up into tight little slits - just enough that I could sort of see almost a little bit, then beat feet back home and indoors as soon as I could get there .................. after my visit to the eye Dr.

Al

Seed starting mix - Espoma Organic Seed Starter
Heat mat - on some of them.
Some need pre-treatment such as stratification or scarification. Most that want stratification are put outside on a table on the back porch after sowing. (It freezes and thaws many times there.)

Occasionally, I will soak large seeds, but mostly not. Just sow them and keep moist.
On seed sowing, many are trial and error. Some directions will say to stratify, but will germinate fine without it, like Achillea. Those have to be the strongest seedlings ever!
I have problems when the directions are calling to "put a newspaper over the seedlings until germination". I use foil and when I discover seedlings, they are leggy and white. However, most of them recover.

Sounds like someone had their eyes dilated today. I'll bet that was a tough drive home with the sunshine reflecting off of the snow.

I told you I'd better prepare for snow! We got less than 2". Enough to be pretty but also be gone in a couple of days.

It is supposed to snow from early tomorrow afternoon till late Sat. morning, they are saying up to 6 inches. I hope not.

We still have a foot of snow on the ground. It is currently raining. Hopefully our roof will be alright.

Evelyn, thank you so much for the great directions on how to start your seeds. I will let you know if I decide to go it. I hope your roof holds up to with the rain and snow that is on it.

We got snow today but I don't think it is amounting to what they had first predicted.

Evelyn, I love your house. Thanks so much for sharing a photo of it.

Al, so interesting about handfeeding the birds!

All those snow photos are pretty. This is the mildest winter here in Northern Virginia that I can recall - no snow except for a few flakes once in a while, no accumulation at all! I've been out working in the gardens many days throughout February and now March for 4 to 8 hours each outing, only stopping for days of rain or high wind before the weather is fairly mild again.

My gardens have been totally neglected for the last two years as my parents needed more and more caretaking. They both passed away about this time last year but I spent the spring, summer, and into fall sorting through 60 years of their accumulated possessions and putting the house on the market. Everything wrapped up in January so I now have time on my hands.

I'm hosting our Mid Atlantic spring swap this year, so I have plenty of incentive to get the gardens in shape. They are pretty extensive and the task is monumental. The biggest issue is the mats of dead stilt grass and accumulated fall leaves that have overrun every single garden area. Most of my time so far this winter is the never ending raking, pulling, and loading up tractor bucket after tractor bucket of debris to take to the burn pile.

I'm stuck with inside stuff for the next few days though as the weather has taken a downturn - cold, rain/sleet, and wind predicted through Wednesday.

Terri ~ Thank you. You are so lucky to be able to work outside. Right now, we still have a foot of snow on the ground and now it is raining. Last night there was a windstorm so now there is debris from the trees all around..

I have to go now and see if there are enough empty plastic flats to raise up my seedlings in the basement. Otherwise they will all get ruined from rot.

(If it ain't one thing, it's another...!!!)

Not doing much with this around.

Me neither. Snow still on the ground and now it is raining for the second day out of seven or so.

There will be flooding in the low-lying areas, and possibly the creek at the end of the road. There is also run-off from the snow melt at higher elevations. That would mean no mail or UPS. If anyone has an emergency they will need a helicopter. And in the low-lying towns and cities there will be problems there, too.

Fresh snow on the ground here too so not outside gardening going on here for some time. this is the last of the white stuff falling from the sky. I hope this was the 3rd snow on the Robin's tail.