I don't know, Kassia, we're only 15 minutes apart. I think I have my own little micro-climate here. We're on the west side of a hill, about 1/2 mile from a lake - I don't know if that has anything to do with it. But I'm the same as you, the whole town will have daffodils and tulips weeks before me. Well, I have one very early red tulip that comes up early.
90 days till Spring!
In our largest garden, we can watch it sprout from the east end to the west end. The east end will sprout and bloom weeks before the west end. It's fun to watch.
Ahhh, but a longer bloom period for you to enjoy!
merry christmas everyone I am waiting for spring too, winter is so long and we got started early I hope that means it will be over sooner ?: ) I bought a $15 orchid at the grocery store to give me a green fix Kassia how is your shoulder? And Deb my bella would love to have a pup around to play with you should come over and we could walk them down to the lake
laura
(poor bella when I have not garden to play in I pass the time dressing her in humiliating costumes)
Hi Laura,
A walk sounds like fun! Andrew and Ben are always ready to go!
I am getting dragged out to the mall and other hideous shopping venues by 2 teenagers with lots of gift cards to burn.
My plan is to escape to Russells (tomorrow if possible) and walk through the greenhouse area for a little while to get a "green fix". Maybe if we get another dump of snow I'll have to go to Tower Hill for an afternoon and hang out in the Orangerie....my orange and lemon trees have not bloomed yet.
Do you ever walk Bella at Callahan in Framingham? Its a blast - lots of trails and the pond...
Deb
PS: What kind of orchid did you get? I've got maybe 15 and only one is willing to rebloom.
deb,
it was a phalaenopsis, a pretty yellow one. I have a lady slipper one that I got at trader joes that is done flowering . I go to russells way to much . it is embarassing, they all know me and give me a ( are you back again ? ) look . I have a son who is going to the stockbridge school for landscape contracting and one of his assignments is to go to tower hill so we will be going soon too.There is a beautiful seven son flower tree ther that is just beautiful in bloom. Did you go to the gardeners emporium this fall?
we have walked her at callahan but we weren't sure what the deal is , are you allowed to walk there now ? other dog owners have said it was a free for all with lots of aggressive dogs so we have not gone recently . what is your take on it?
laura
Laura,
LOL! I was over at Russells today and managed to get out with only 1 plant, unless you count 10 paperwhite bulbs! All the Christmas decorations are about 50% off so I picked up some lights for the fence for next year (the Caribbean blue variety)
I was at the Gardener's emporium at Tower Hill the past fall. I took only $50, but I spent every penny - mini pomegranate, lilac tree, natural dyeing books......
As for Callahan, it can be a mob scene at times. I live walking distance so I'm there almost every day. I find that if I go when the dog walkers do not, it's much more managable (they are there from 9:30-10:30 AM and 12:30-1:30PM usually). Andrew and Ben can be pretty rambuncious just the two of them. The new rules state that your dogs need to be leashed only on the outside paths abutting homes. Inside the park and near the pond they can be unleashed as long as they are under control. I haven't heard of any agressive dogs around lately - the regulars tend to make it pretty unwelcoming for anyone with a "bad" dog.
Let me know when you'll be going to Tower Hill - I'd love to go with someone who knows what they are talking about (my kids are totally bored by the whole thing)
Maybe we can do a walk next week?
Deb
Deb - what a great pic of your retrievers! They are wonderful dogs! I know what you mean about the lethal tails though. I miss our Cody so much. He had a long and happy life.
Laura - Bella has such an awesome indignant look on her face. Adorable!!
We visited my son and his dog, Donnie (my DG namesake) at Christmas. Here's a shot of Molly and Donnie with their Christmas bones......LOL
deb that would be great ! bella loves to romp around with other dogs we could meet somewhere or you could come here and walk down to the Wayland town beach . its a nice place to play. Tower Hill is beautiful any time of year but I don't know if they clear the snow off the trails . I went the gardners emporium last year too, I got lots of great plants , 2 daylillies a black hills spruce a corpse plant ( named for the smell of it's blooms ) eww a few more I can't recall right now . Next year I am going to get there earlier
very cute pups donnie. bella loved her christmas presents too but she demolished a rubber squeaky toy and ate a good deal of it before I caught her ! my kids keep telling me she is spoiled . I think thy are just jealous
laura
Laura,
What a cute pic! Bella looks like a sweetie and she looks like she can hold her own against my hoodlums.
I haven't been to Tower hill this winter, but I know they offered some vacation classes for the kids, one of which was identifying animal tracks in the snow. My kids took a cactus and succulent class (1hour or so) a few years ago and I've still got all their baby cactus, but they are much bigger now!
I'm going to go to bed and hope for 8" of snow tomorrow.
Talk to you soon!
Deb
Sue that's odd. I think the same thing about where I am...
Laura and Deb, I can just imagine the fun theses dogs would have... call me when you guys decide to do it!
I have never been to tower hill... I am not getting any inside plants... no room for them and my family just refuses to put up with my madness... well, outside they have no choice... but it's life. my beatiful desert rose plant needs a warm home... can't take care of her in my bedroom window and my succulents are dying too... too cold in my bedroom window... Deb or Laura any room for more plants in your houses???
I hope for that much snow too... this way I don't have to go to work!
I love a good snow storm! deb bella can not only hold her own with hoodlums but she can be relentless !
Kassia I think the trick for growing tropicals in the house in winer is to just keep them alive till spring they may not go completely dormant but most of them have a period of non growth when they rest and don't look their best . just don't water her and let her alone to pout maybe in the basement.
laura
A few days ago Becky and I both had fevers for about 48 hours, and as I was just "vegging" around I decided to make my "Countdown to Spring" calendar. There are 80 squares, beginning on 1/1 going to 3/20. I googled flowers from art prints and seed packs. I'll slip it into a page protector and, with a dry erase marker, cross off the days! That way I can reuse it.
Sorry the photo's fuzzy - my cheap camera doesn't take close-ups well.
Very nice, Sue! Hope you're feeling better.
Thanks - yeah, we're back to "normal". Tomorrow, I've got to get out all my school work so we can start up again on Wednesday. And make sure the older one has clean clothes for her school on Wed. also!
Sue: That's awesome! And what a creative way to spend your 'down time'. I hope you are feeling better now.
Thanks, Candyce. My dh got the NFL network a few weeks ago, after discovering it was only $5/month. Well, needless to say, he's been hogging the t.v. a lot lately! So I had to find something to do that didn't involve sleeping!
Kassia,
I'd offer your plants a spot on my south window, but I'm fighting a battle with aphids (inside - yechh!) and some other nasty bugs and would 'nt want to infect anyone else's plants
The dogs are all sacked out this morning after a run in the snowy woods and the kids are off to school. Time for me to get some cleaning up done!
PS: The Christmas Tree Shop in Natick is having a clearance sale - I got a 3 tier plant stand normally $30 for only $15. There may be some others still there.
:)
have a great day,
Tamberlin/Deb
Sue, your calendar is great... oh you are giving me ideas!!!!
79 days and counting!!!!!!
Kassia, that warms the heart. Please keep up the countdown.
Love that calendar, Sue!! Very clever and creative idea!!
The problem is - March 20 - and there still isn't much growing for another 2 months!
Up there maybe.
88 days only! well, let's say we have 88 more days to finish some rough draft for a new garden... now we have the time to read some gardening books without feeling guilty for not being outside... and the nice questions come up! Where am I going to plant dahlias? will all the irises bloom??? oh so many questions!!!!
Let's just say even if is freeeeezing today it will be better next week... and the snow is going to melt a little... I hope enough stay around the roses... I heard snow is actually good insulator.
Yes - you want snow cover with these temps!
My plants are VERY WELL insulated!!!
And will be for some time!
I should be good by say.....June?
Aw, Deb, you had to mention the Christmas Tree Shop sale! I keep telling myself it's too cold to go over!
Sue - they don't have seeds or bulbs yet and the one in Natick doesn't have any orchids at the moment either. So it's not so exciting. My hubby hasn't seen the plant stand yet - it's hiding in the garage.
It was so cold this morning that even the puppies came in after only a short walk. I was frozen solid!
It was 5 degrees F at my house, but 0 at my Mom's in Maine!
Yup - only how many days 'til spring????
88!
Kass - you started this thread on 12/22 and today, 1/3, we have only shaved two days??!! Is this the new math??
This thread sounds so optimistic, but unfortunately, just because the calendar says "spring," it does not mean that the weather says spring! it seems to me like it is cold until at least May here...
oops.... you are absolutelyyyyy right.... we are not 88 days but 78 days away... that's sooooo much better!!! thanks Victor!!!
well, cold doesn't bother me... what bothers me is that I can't plant outside... that is tough... I love 40's and 50's.... I wish that 60's were the most it would get!!!!
No problem. I was worried were 'stuck' in winter!
10 degrees, like this AM, definitely bothers me!
it was 6 over here.
Actually it was 6 here too. I was thinking about later on when I checked.