Overwintering Successes - So Far

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I was so happy to finally be able to get outside and see what made it through - so far.
I'm not stupid enough to think that old man winter might not give us one more good smack upside the head, but here's to hoping, anyway.

The two rhubarbs that we transplanted last fall are budded. (thought they weren't too happy about their location as I wasn't able to harvest anything after two years)

Some lavender made it! I can't believe it. I was sure it was all going to croak as I left it in an exposed, wet area all winter. But, tada! It's out there and alive. Even seems as if it has grown a lot.

A few of the rhody seedlings are looking good. A surprise there, too! I can't find any of the azaleas.

I'm not too sure about the garlic, though. They had beautiful green shoots last month, but then we got a quick thaw that was just long enough to get rid of the protective snow cover, followed by ten below 0 F. I dug one up just to be nosy, and the roots look good, everything else just looks like mush. I guess I'll just have to give it some more time and see what happens.

I got some pepper seeds (chinese giant reds and a mix, 56) in soil last Friday the thirteenth. (Figured that was as good a day as any the way our luck has been running) No sprouts yet. It's much too early to expect any.

This weekend I'll be sowing the green ones. All I have is the leftover Cali Wonders, so they'll have to do.

The cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and broccoli seed I started a while ago are growing nicely. Short and bushy - perfect. I'm also out of seed for those now.

Only two weeks to getting the tomato started. Oh, I can't WAIT to smell that foliage!

We started getting the ponds cleaned out, but with the temps going into the mid-teens F this week, we'll wait until next weekend to get the pump and filter up and running. We lost two koi. ~sigh~
:(

Oh, on a side note, I had an opportunity to tell the Nielsen Company exactly what I thought of HGTV, and wow, do I feel better!

Roadside Shopping

:)
People are chucking their spent mums . . . again.
Yay!
I picked up three big mums and a pumpkin large enough for about four loaves of pumpkin bread. I love it when people have money to throw away.
Clearance sales are still on at Lowe's - huge Boston fern and two 'Double Take' Spaths (left outside to get frosted - ugh!) for a buck.
Go me!

The weather looks like I'll be able to get the mums in the ground on Friday.
I got the Iris cut back for winter and did a lot of weed pulling. Most of the flowerbeds are cleaned up. I'm still doing that nit-picky thing I do, though. I can't help it!

Planted the garlic a month ago and they're growing very well. Transplanted the rhubarb into the garden at the same time - I don't know how they'll end up taking it. We'll see.

Collected some more seed - aster and Zebrina Malva. I'm hoping those don't become a thug.
The large pond pump and flow-through pumps have been turned off and the smaller winter pumps turned on. The koi are sulking, but it can't be helped. They'll be fine, as always.

Now comes the real limbo. Too much love for the houseplants while I twiddle my thumbs waiting to start the wintersowing. It won't be as much as previous years as I can't afford the potting soil. Oh, well. I'll just have to pick and choose a little more wisely about what I want most in the flowerbeds next year and use the peat I already have - whether appropriate or not. On a side note: I was a little miffed when someone mentioned that they bought eight bags of potting soil for 8 something a bag and thought that it was no big deal and pretty much petty change. Huh? When your figuring out which bill to pay and which to leave . . . ummmm, 60 something dollars is a lot of money! What the hell is wrong with people saying it's no big deal to just go blow 60 bucks on soil? I could almost see her shrugging her shoulders with the 'what's the big deal' attitude. Grrrr.

I need to sort through my seeds again and get them in order. Maybe I'll wait on that until after Christmas when I'll be ridiculously sick of having nothing gardenish to play in.

Still so far, so good on the rosemary.

I still need to tent my lavender with some burlap.

I found out that my Polka Dots are more of a pain in the ass than I thought they would be.

I can't get the stem rot stopped on those stupid begonias, so have about a thousand cuttings piled everywhere now. If I end up with not one begonia come spring, I'm gonna be hot!

The Majesty Palm is still puttering along and throwing up new spears.

Oh, and the weirdness for the month - a Foxglove and Lupine are flowering! What the frig is up with that? The snaps that are still in full bloom aren't a surprise, but the Lupine certainly is. Also had a Delph just get a very late bloom frozen off. Hmmm . . .

Plans are in the works to widen the garden next spring and plant potatoes again. Yay! We haven't had the room for them in years.

I may do some more roadside shopping this weekend. Hehehe.