Cabin Fever

It always hits me in the winter when there is snow-cover. Being crippled, I daren't walk on slippery ground, and that includes about 90% of the world.

Ways to alleviate cabin fever:

1. Plan a dream garden (kind of boring: we do this all the time)

2. Start the spring cleaning (yuck! who wants to work?)

3. Cut up lots of old catalogues into flower shapes and see the new collage created.

4. Gather lots of old dried flowers, strew them on the floor and roll in them. Great for getting nice and dirty, pretend you have been out actually gardening!

5. Turn a basement room into a mud room. Dump all the old pots full of spent potting soil on the floor, and walk barefoot in the soil. Aaahh! Especially effective if you have a sunlamp on.

So, what else would work? Gotta get rid of the energy somehow, nobody needs to turn into Jack Nicholson LOL.

I work on my journals and photo albums. That way I get to revisit the summer months and all those beautiful flowers and veggies!

Work on the PDB?????

LOL, was that a HINT???????

I HAVE to clean the study. I HAVE to sort out some photos so I CAN add to the PDB. In order to sort out the photos, I HAVE to clean the study. And then there are all those quilts whimpering in unfinished piles - all botanical in some way. . .

Naw, I was just offering a suggestion - it's not nearly as messy as sprinkling dried flowers on the floor, and it's more virtuous than (and almost as much fun as) planning a fantasy garden!

Yes, wandering through the PDB, pulling weeds, is a nice break from the winter mess, too, Go_Vols

I remember I always got the blues so bad after the holidays in OH. It's always so dark for so long up there. It gets cold here but not the ice or snow like up there and the sun shines almost everyday. Come on down and spend the winter with me. Hang in there, just when you think you can't stand it, you'll see a crocus poke it's head out of the ground :-)...

Lupine,

Great suggestion about the soil in the basement, I'm gonna rip open a bag of dirt tonight!!! Oh, how I miss that feeling this time of year!!!

I brought two pots of spare bulbs in this afternoon. They were filled with the ones -- tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, etc that squirrels (or careless gardeners) had dug up during the summer and fall, and left to have their cold time in the garage.

When I brought them down to the basement to water and acclimitize them, I just happened to spill a little of the potting soil on the ground down there *grin*

Go_Vols, I have been TRYING to be good in the PDB the last few days! Honest! You wouldn't want me in there when I get goofy in the evening, anyway. You would get to spend lots and lots of time cleaning up my messes ;D

I planted my first seeds of the 2003 season today. I put 50 geranium seeds in moit paper toweling and plastic bags on the 5th, and most were sprouted today, so I sterilized six packs, a tray, and a dome lid, then planted them is sterile soil...let the games begin!

I spent 5 days mixing seed-starting mixtures, made several trips to stores gathering all my supplies (a new heating cable, new flats, new insets), spent hours cleaning my old supplies, sterlized everything in sight, then had many blissful hours of planting. Nothing has sprouted yet (you cheated, Weez, pre-sprouting ;D).

Amazing how long a lot of the process takes; just letting the peat absorb water takes a day! Then soaking seeds. Then endlessly scrubbing (my least-favorite part).

And, of course, sitting down on the floor got me nice and dirty -- my favorite part! It really lifted my spirits after being house-bound for 5 days.

Today, more snow :( Can I find room for more flats if I plant more seeds?

LOL, any window sills left?? I REALLY need to get some planted (I know, I've been saying that for weeks) and I have to wash all my in the house for the winter plants - we seem to have a white mold problem and white flies to beat the band. I put up a yellow sticky sheet for the flies and I'm going to break out the chamomile tea for the mold. Mostly, I'm trying to shake a cold and still be cheerful for everyone here.

The snow is flying!

I've started knitting hats - heaven help us all!!!

This message was edited Friday, Jan 10th 1:53 PM

Get some chicken wire and make some topiary frames. Very easy to do, just wear gloves.

Here is a CRUDE one I put together today. Took about 30 minutes from start to stuffing. I used some pine needles on him as this one will end up in the trash or a frame for hypertufa.

http://davesgarden.com/pics/datdog_1042221661_640.jpg

http://davesgarden.com/pics/datdog_1042221719_936.jpg

http://davesgarden.com/pics/datdog_1042221808_167.jpg

datdog, those topiary frames are wonderful. Love the bunny! Don't you dare throw him in the trash! Every garden needs some whimsy. What do you usually fill them with?

Datdog, I agree: don't you dare throw them in the trash!!!! I would love one (or two, or three... ;D I am not gifted with my hands to be able to do things like that. I saw some similar ones at a local nursery last summer, and they were $99 each!!!!! Just think of the fortune you could make selling them locally, for even $10 each!