Ledge and Gardens

February Light

The sunny days have a definite and discernible brightness signaling to the garden and the gardener that it is time to get busy. This weekend was brisk and light filled even as the ice still covered the fish pond. The maiden grass is looking tattered and torn having suffered a very early and heavy snow in October and many swirling winter winds. We have had just a couple very cold days this winter. There has been little snow cover compared with last year. In addition to the golden glow of the grass which compliments Tucker's blond coat, the moss is almost impossibly green. Along the drive there is a newly planted witch hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise'. Arnold is starting to wake up. It may be a whole month until spring but here brightness and light are returning. There will be slips back to winter. It is inevitable. That said, there is a touch of yellow in the garden. Is your garden showing the signs of a new season yet? 

Wordless Wednesday - December 14, 2011

Snow Falling on Zinnias

This is what the garden looked like this morning. We skipped the first hard frost and went right to snowfall. The zinnias and the Spanish flag are still blooming. Time will tell if they will succumb to this cold spell. It was 29F here this morning and the roads were coated with ice. Rumor has it that sand trucks were out. This must be a record for them although last year we had an appreciable snowfall on November 8th. Mother Nature has forgotten how important it is for a gradual transition of temperatures in order for plants to acquire hardiness. We have had a nice fall with very mild weather and a good amount of moisture. The days are getting quite short as we head to the winter solstice. There are still bulbs left to plant and hoses and pots to be gathered and put away for the winter. Is the weather in your garden normal for this time of year? 

Irene

I realize that this is not a timely report but last Sunday's hurricane Irene pulled down power lines, phone lines and the internet which has yet to be restored to Ledge & Gardens. I know the crews are working frantically and since we sustained no permanent damage it is just a reminder how tied we are to the comforts of life in the 21st century. Cell phones do not work in my area either...hard to believe that is true in the densely populated southern New England area. No worries, the EM and I packed up the dogs and headed up to the wilds of Maine. Seboomook Lake is near the more popular Moosehead Lake. I first featured the camp here in a previous post. It is an eight hour drive but at this remote camp there is a generator, gas stove and refrigerator and, believe it or not, a satellite connection. It is not everyone's dream to be so remote but if you have to live off the grid, you are prepared. Not so at home where flush toilets do not flush and showers don't shower without power. The major damage in the yard and gardens was to the tomato crop. I planted lots of heirloom tomatoes, 36 plants which were over six feet tall and still growing. The cages were bending under the burden even without the storm. Now they are lying on the ground. I picked a huge amount of tomatoes just before the storm. Many of them have 'catfacing' on the bottoms. I have learned that 'catfacing' occurs from one of two conditions and usually on the beefsteak type tomatoes. The first condition would be herbicide damage which is not an option for these since they are organic and no herbicides were used at L & G anywhere near tomatoes. The other situation which causes 'catfacing' is cool temperatures occuring at the time of pollination. We had cool temperatures well into July this year. The tomatoes still taste great, they just look a bit funky. I packed many of them for the trip to Maine since canning them was out of the question with no power. I am wondering if I can consume all that I brought with me. Perhaps I will tire of the taste of tomatoes fresh from the garden...almost fresh. Do you evey get tired of garden tomatoes? Stay tuned for the next installment of L & G 'On the Road'. I will be featuring the big tomato crop up here at camp.

Not just frost

The temperatures have dipped well below freezing in the past week as evidenced by the skim coating of ice on the fish pond.  I just missed Woodstock's skating episode but his blade marks are still visible.  The morning walk is now over decidedly hard ground although it does still soften up during the day.  Is that something you think of when you are walking?  How hard or soft the ground is beneath your feet? It is something that I have to deliberately think about along with those other subtle but significant physical changes in the natural world. 
The angle and duration of light, the activity of the birds and their specific calls, the color and dryness of the foliage are all seasonal signals. These signals are processed but not perceived until one sits and thinks about them, at least for me.  I think we are all more or less attuned to the changes around us but fine tuning the senses does take practice and purpose as with any worthwhile endeavor.   I notice that the dog's noses are closer to the ground on these cold mornings.  Perhaps to them, the scents are a bit more subtle.  This time of year affords us all the opportunity to refine our senses and pay attention to that which is just as real as the fragrance and color of a rose but which takes a bit more scrutiny and deliberation to discern.  What subtle seasonal change have you noticed in your garden on your daily walk?