Still Waiting For Water

Not sure if I'm making a difference or not, but am still dragging hoses around watering trees, shrubs, and perennials. Sunny days in the fifties predicted for this week, but no snow. It's not a big event to water since I have water available from the greenhouse faucets and the frost free hydrant. Had a bit of a snag with the frost free freezing up, so we wrapped it with heat tape and that did the trick. Not much going on in the southern greenhouse. Perennials carried over from 2011, those started from bareroot stock, and rooted cuttings, are staying dormant despite the sunny days. This is due in part to raising the southern sidewall during the day to allow natural venting and keep temps in the sixties; nighttime temps are kept at just above freezing. The main greenhouse is mostly empty and reaching temps in the eighties during the day; also above freezing at night to avoid bursting water pipes. January will be spent working on the website. I'm getting ready for things to rock and roll soon as perennial liners are scheduled to arrive that first week in February and by March 1st, they'll all be transplanted. The orders for annuals are all in and before long...spring will arrive, and with it, I hope, the skies will open up.    

Tucked In For Winter

The sunshine persists and although part of me is glad for it, the gardens need some snow. I have been dragging hoses around for the past two weeks watering trees, shrubs, and perennials and will continue to do so until surface roots get some "natural" moisture. On another topic...despite the complaining I hear about plastic in this industry, it certainly holds up over the years. The dozens of plastic pots on our deck have been with us for well over a decade and show no signs of wear. I reuse them (and the container mix in the bigger ones) every spring when I plant them up with annuals. Even the smaller plastic colorbowls and 12" hanging garden pots are emptied, scrubbed out, and stored for next season. We buy the same plastic trays/flats from the same supplier every year, so we can keep about 95% of the plastic used for growing "in house". Over a thousand get rinsed, stacked, and stored at the end of every season. We are unable to take trays/flats from other stores because they come in such a range of shapes and sizes, they cannot be stacked and stored. So, hopefully, you'll have a chance to clean and store your plastic containers this winter. We will have plenty of beatiful flowers to fill them with this spring.  

Sunny, But Cold

Managed to spend some time last week trimming some overgrown shrubs. Pruners, loppers, and even the chainsaw were needed on a willow that had lost some inner branches. One more willow to go, and since tomorow is forecast to be sunny (but cold), looks like my best bet to get out and finish this early winter chore. All of my plant orders; including shrubs, trees, perennials, and annuals, are in for the 2012 season. The trees and shrubs are sitting in a bunker somewhere in Minnesotta and will arrive in late March. The rest of the perennials will be transplanted by the end of February and then I'll start in on the annuals. Have placed a large order for decorative containers and am looking forward to offering some upscale container gardens in 2012. Pansies have always been a favorite of mine and so have Wave Petunias, so I was excited about a new Pansy variety called Cool Wave which is suppose to have a spreading rather than an upright/mounding habit. Am looking forward to trying it. Despite the cold, I have been spending as much time as possible outside soaking up the rays that nurture my psyche. Northern Nevada has some outstanding sunshine and I'll enjoy it while it's here.  

Blustery Weather On The Way

Doing what it's suppose to do...the wind is getting the leaves off the trees and onto the ground where they belong as snowy weather arrives. Hit and miss with fall color this season; mostly beautiful, but the leaves on some trees and shrubs froze before they had a chance to change color then fall. Mostly off now, good thing. We started feeding and providing water for the birds a few years back and they provide us lots of entertainment. I especially like to watch them splashing around in the birdbath. Cedar Waxwings were feeding on the Sorbus (Mountain Ash) berries yesterday. They gobble them up whole as they prepare to head off to warmer weather...somewhere. Several years ago a friend of mine asked me if have started feeding the birds yet and I replied that I hadn't. Her simple response was "you will", and she was right. Trees and shrubs that include fruit or berries for the birds are a mainstay in our landscape. The feeders and saucers of water are placed in the garden we can see from the kitchen table. Better than anything on TV. Heading out into the gardens this morning for perhaps the last time this year. Snow is on the way and I'll be looking out from my warm spot by the fire. 

Favorite Season Of The Year

I could spend the entire day outside when it's like this. And it's a good thing I feel this way since that's about how it goes. Outstanding blue skies and temps in the sixties...it just doesn't get better than this. Know it won't last, so I'm making the most out of it "working" in the gardens to get them ready for, no not winter, spring. The bulbs are in, the lawn is done, and now it's just cutback, cutback, and then some more cutting back. My idea of spring is walking through the gardens with a cuppa joe in hand and seeing the new growth emerge. There's much to be done and I can't think of a single thing I would rather be doing or a better place to spend the day. This really is my comfort zone. So, with pruners in hand, I'm out to enjoy the day. Hopeful that others out there are also able to spend at least part of their day being outdoors.

BURRRR!

I never get used to the weather here...one day sunny and 85 degrees, the next, snowy and 35. I've come to think of it as "Extreme Gardening". Lugged the cherry toms into the greenhouse on Sunday, just can't say goodbye to them yet. At a full 7' and in a 24" pot, this was no easy task. Otherwise, the annuals in container gardens were cut back and tossed, knew they would not get through the next several nights in the twenties; except for the Hot Lips Salvia, Violas, and Nemesia Opal Innocence that have sloughed off the cold and snow to carry on through fall. The best way for me to keep up with seasonal changes is to list out my chores. Just seeing them on paper makes them less overwhelming. I don't "prioritise", I just jot them down as I think of them and then have that feeling of satisfaction when I cross them off. It's a long list and even though I already know I will not get to cutting back all of the thousands of perennials in the gardens this year, it's on the list anyway. Besides, if it wasn't for these can't-garden-today days, the house would never get a going over. Time to stoke up the fire and scrub down the stove.  

Water Wise Gardening

With thousands of plants including trees, shrubs, and perennials tucked into twelve gardens, the key to keeping them adequately watered is scheduling. I use the Excel program to keep the gardens on an every-fourth-day schedule; the gardens are labeled by their predominant planting. All but two gardens are on soaker hoses, so by just barely having the water on, I can leave it to run overnight, and the garden is thoroughly watered by the next morning. Regardless of windy conditions, the water is delivered right to the soil where it's needed. This system also keeps water off the flowers which keeps them happier and blooming much longer. The back lawn is on a programmable timer to run with two-twenty minute cycles at night. The three-tiered design includes flat surfaces with two short transitions. We installed a water meter to measure water use from the well and typically use 25,000 gallons through July and again in August. While newly planted (this season) plants require more frequent watering to succeed, we feel a thorough soaking, applied on a regular schedule through the heat of summer works best.