Getting ready for a winter storm involves more than buying bread and milk.
Protecting your family from discomfort is important, but protecting your family from danger is a priority. Since the discomforts from a winter storm are fresh on our minds, now is the time to think about and get ready for when it happens again.
As the month of January draws to a close, a momentary glimpse of spring-like weather, known in weather folklore as the January thaw, enabled housebound gardeners to venture outdoors and assess the consequences of Mother Nature’s persistent snowy offerings.
Twinny Peach snapdragon is a bedding plant winner, meaning it’s a shorter plant characteristic of mass plantings to make an effect. You could tuck a plant here and there in a container, but if you really want to make a statement, stick at least four to six together.
During the long winter months, you welcome the browns and yellows of the landscape plants, like dried ornamental grasses, surrounded by snow. There is also a deciduous holly called Ilex verticillata, or winterberry, that in winter shows red berries on its bare branches.
The warm yellow tulips rise defiantly from a clear vase set on a green tablecloth on my dining room table. It’s a talisman giving me hope that spring is on the way
Stocking birdfeeders during the winter months can help the birds when their food supply is scarcer.
Every day when I open the mail box, it has one or more seed and plant catalogues. Researching these plants before purchasing is a great idea. Oklahoma has one of the most diverse environments for plants in the nation. Extreme is the key word, whether it’s heat, cold, drought, too much moisture or just one of these at the wrong time makes purchasing plants suitable for our growing conditions a decision that should be made with appropriate considerations.
Many native perennial flowering plants make great landscape plants. Goldenrod, given a bad rap because it flowers at the same time as allergy-producing ragweed, can brighten up the fall garden with yellow when all you have are mums. The only problem is that most of the natives that stand out tend to bloom in August, September and October. Fortunately, most isn’t all. There are other great bloomers in the spring.
Several days of milder temperatures afforded a welcome opportunity to escape the dry, stuffy confines of my indoor sanctuary and enjoy pale blue skies and crisp clean air.
Spring calving season will start shortly, if not for many already. We have plenty of winter left so I wanted to remind producers of things that not only can affect their cow’s nutritional needs, but also how the time of day that cows are fed can affect their calving time.
While nearly every landscape appears lovely after a snowfall, I grow tired of the winter white that continues to dominate our scenery and dream of all the colors that will paint my borders when warm weather returns. Just the brief appearance of a few sassy blue jays or the dazzling plumage of a brilliant red cardinal at my bird feeders brightens my outlook, while the colorful illustrations in gardening books, magazines and catalogs remind me of the beauty nestled beneath the blanket of snow.
Plants are like people. Most plants in our gardens don’t appreciate the cold. They may not mind it, but none are thriving. Granted, there are some green plants out there. You can look at the evergreens, from the needled spruces, pines, firs, junipers and yews, to the broadleaf types, including boxwood, rhododendrons, some azaleas and hollies. Some low-lying plants (some ferns, aroids and hellebores) remain green.
Viewed from afar during winter, most gardens appear monochromatic, except for the evergreens and muted colors of stems and branches silhouetted against the snow and sky. Close-up, many trees exhibit more distinctly colored bark features on their trunks and stems. In the home garden, some of these can add significant appeal to the otherwise bland winter garden.
For many gardeners, pruning seems to be the most daunting chore in the home fruit tree orchard.
In an effort to avoid cutting off too much, many of us end up not cutting at all and end up with overgrown trees. Too little pruning can result in overcrowded, unhealthy branches that produce small fruit and/or few of them. On the other hand, severe pruning also can remove much of the crop potential.
A shimmering, crystalline blanket of new snow covers my gardens as I gaze out my window at the dormant winter landscape.
As the hectic holiday season came to a close, several days of milder temperatures and intermittent rainfall erased much of Mother Nature’s protective snowy covering revealing patches of soft green grass.
What’s the color of the year for 2010? Well, as always, there isn’t one. It depends on what works best for you. Whether you need to pick one shade to paint a room or a coordinated color scheme for your whole house, 2010’s colors are ready to revitalize your living space.
With the New Year, very soon warmer temperatures will arrive and with them the new growing season will start.
Now is the time, preparation should be given to growing plants, no matter if you are a rancher, farmer, gardener or a homeowner wanting a nice lawn. The first step of plant growth is to determine plant nutrient needs. This is done through a soil sample.
After a successful first season for the Ashland Community Gardens, organizers are hoping to ramp up the program in 2010.
Winter is the quiet time of the year for the garden. There’s not much sound to tickle your hearing. Fragrances and aromas are only a memory, except for burning fireplace wood. Sure, it seems like nothing's happening ... but it won't be long before you'll see all kinds of colors.
