Lack of snow and lack of mulch might make a big different when it comes to temps of minus 29. I can't even imagine minus 29.

OH Stephanie...It has Always been my Dream to live in Montana..I even picked out a
town LOL Horsecreek..doesn't that sound wonderful But,alas my Paul
would frezzze solid

I bet it is really lovely up in MT in the summer. But I would like to skip the winters there also.

Thanks Mona for the info and link. Now I am more informed.

I pulled the mulch off the tips of my dormant daylilies that had started growing. All of those that were covered look totally unharmed. A few had the very tip above the mulch and those show damage, but only on the tips. We got down to the mid teens a few nights ago. The evergreens and semi evergreens (I can't tell any difference) are another story. Some are totally tan all the way to the ground, but with temps in the fifties, they will start growing again. Hope everyone else escaped without damage.

Same here Ann, the domants faired better than the evergreens
and semi-evergreens. But the evergreens were so tall, they had to
get the worst of it.

Shirley, the link doesn't mention alfalfa pellets. A lot of people use those because they are easier to find (animal feed stores). Beside the chemical that's released from it, the earthworms love it and will come to your beds to feast. Of course they leave you a lovely present of worm castings which is really great for plants.

I didn't go check on the daylilies yesterday because it rained ( we needed it), but I went today. The first night didn't bother them because it was so windy the frost didn't settle on them. The next night, which wasn't as cold as the first, was bad with no wind. The poor daylilies look terrible. Some look like nothing happened, but most have severe frost burn. The ones under the shade cloth (James never takes his down) look the best out of them all. The shade cloth helps keep the frost off. Next year I won't have to worry about the winter weather because James is getting the frost cover material and everything will be covered. Mark Sattlemeier (Abundant Daylilies) over in Bonifay, AL has a shade house. For those who may wonder what a shade house is, it's just a frame structure with shade cloth on all sides and top. I guess it would be like a screened in porch basically. He uses the frost covers over everything in there and it might as well be like a greenhouse. The frost covers really make a difference because his daylilies are huge. He told James he has scapes coming up so he won't be far off from having blooms. When we were there last month he showed us where he had put the frost covers on some of his seedlings out in the field and they were pretty much the only grren things out there. All the other daylilies looked terrible from the cold weather there.

Our winter has been very mild too. We had a long spell in Jan. that was dry, sunny and quite warm. It got to 70 one day. Unheard of for Jan. around here. The rain is back but it's not constant, we're still fairly warm and we're getting lots of sun breaks for this time of the year.

I generally leave my fall clean up for spring so the dead foliage can protect my plants. I've been able to get out on dry days and start the clean up early this year. Being able to get out has helped to lift my spirits and energize me. Staying indoors all the time was zapping both.

Sunshine is the healer of many souls. I know all the warnings about skin cancer, but if I had to stay in all the time, I would probably die. My body craves sunshine.

I'm very thankful for the mild winter that we have had, too. It's been a true blessing.

Michele, I've been seening a lot of worms under my pots that I've been moving around. I guess the pellets are helping the soil that's under the pots. I sent you an email, hope you got it.

Blessings, Mona

Mona, Yes, I got it and just sent a reply. That's good you are seeing worms, they will go in and out of the holes in your pots. I always find worms in my pots when I repot or take them out to plant. The worms I find on the ground when I'm weeding or what have you I throw into my beds or if it's near the pots I just throw it in one.

Correct Michele, that link discusses tea and meal. Also did a
search for more examples of use.

Think this is a product that calls for experimentation to see
what it does in "this" soil and climate. Will create a test spot
and compare. Earthworms are in abundance here.

I tried to get some last season but no one had any here. Will try again this year as think it has great benefits I could use.

Montana is beautiful but it is not for everyone when it comes to living here. It can be harsh in the winter. It is getting harder for us all the time. We both have lived here all our lives and other places are tempting, but the summers are so wonderful we end up staying. If nothing else take a vacation here. You can even stay with us. It is so worth it.

I have never been to MT. But those winters have got to be brutal. I really used to travel lots all over the country many years ago but these days I am such a homebody. I don't go far at all any more.

I have not been to many places either. Mostly to Pa when I was doing Rodeo. Then to Chicago to a canary show and went
to Visit my horse "Dakota" and Denver to another National Canary show. Went to pay my respects to Buffalo Bill. Really
wanted to go the the Rockies..then found out it was Way to far away..So I put a rose in a field for John Denver by Denver
airport. I was there the year he passed away :(

I love the snow..Might take you up on that one day Stephaine

BTW WE HAVE SNOW in Va not getting ,much BUT it is still SNOW and I will take it

It was mild here this weekend. Frosty mornings and sunny temps in the 30's - mild for February in Wisconsin. I'm not complaining, and I see more and more signs of spring - right on schedule. You realize we only have one more month of calendar winter - right? ~Jan

There was a break in the rain today, so I went out and took a look around. All of my daylilies are peeking out, even the hard dormants. I even saw a few liliums and hosta poking out of the soil. It's really early, I'd say 3 or 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Last year everything was late, so maybe the weather is making up for it this year.

Joy, that would be great to have an early spring. No real sign here other than 2 blackbirds arriving a couple of days ago. It's still really cold, 23 this morning and we have had a few inches of snow the past few days.

Sure sounds great to have spring starting at your house, Joy. The only signs of spring here are the daffodils. Early ones have already started blooming and others have started growing and show plenty of green leaves. Too early for anything else here. Daylilies are doing nothing yet, no growing yet for them.

I don't have any bulbs this year, I dug all of them up last year to make room for more daylilies.