Being a gardener in winter looks a lot different than being a gardener in summer. I’ve been thinking about this a lot as I watched our backyard transform into an ice-encrusted snowscape over the last few weeks. I don’t think I could get a trowel in the ground if I tried. I decided to make a video about some of these thoughts for our local CBS station:
As I watched this video back, I realized I misspoke about that columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). It’s a reddish/yellowish flower – not pink at all! Maybe those frigid temperatures are messing with my mind.
Last year I invited a couple friends over for my first annual “Peruse Seed Catalogs and Drink Tea Night.” This past week we did it again. We leafed through a dozen catalogs as we snacked on a sesame SEED cake I baked. Chatting about unique varieties of cucumbers and tomatoes and flowers with friends made summer feel so much closer.
Last week I wrote about how delighted I was with my zinnias so – not surprisingly – I found myself drawn to the range of zinnias in all the catalogs. Zinnias can look so many different ways!
I was especially taken by this Takii’s Choice Mix:
I’ll have to buy a pack of those. And maybe a few others too.
How have you been spending your winters? Have you been perusing seed catalogs too? Found anything good? I’d love to hear about it.
And one more thing: Phipps Conservatory is halfway through their Orchid & Tropical Bonsai Show and I got to stop by for Pittsburgh Today Live. You can watch the video and learn some Japanese terms here:
I love the idea of perusing the catalogues with others, comparing, maybe even sharing ordered packets.
As mentioned on the last thread I'm trying to keep my greens and brassicas alive through this winter. I have a small heated greenhouse and a cold frame with heating pad currently growing seedlings for March. I also converted an old TV cabinet in the house into a gro-lighted seedling chamber for landscape plants. So I'm keeping busy!