Winter Walkabout

To put it mildly, the weather has been a bit crazy. I’m sure most of the nation has experienced similar weather: a sudden drop in temperatures to unseasonably cold temperatures the week before the holidays, followed by a return to warm temperatures unseasonably.

The plants were protected by the snow cover when temperatures dropped to -2degF in the night. With this second thaw, which occurred after Christmas, the snow has mostly disappeared. It was a beautiful day on Monday, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees F. I walked around my garden to check things out.

Anguish at the exposed plant

With alternating freezing and thawing, plants, especially those that are planted in the late fall, can heave from the ground. I was going to encourage any plants that were “bumping up” to go back down. But I never thought I’d be able to see this:

The planting guide included with the Terrestial Orchid warns against exposing roots to drying winds or direct sunlight. This can be fatal for the plant. You can be certain that I followed the planting instructions exactly: buds half an inch below the soil surface, one inch of mulch on top, and roots horizontally spread in the upper four inches of the soil. It was not recommended that I cover the newly-planted lady’s slipper plant with a board or plastic sheet measuring a foot square. I placed a chicken-wire cloche on the planting area to discourage animals from digging.

I’m not sure if the heavy rains had washed away the soil or if an animal got under the wire cage and caused mischief. The site didn’t seem disturbed. I immediately grabbed a small tub of leaf mold and poured it over the roots. Then, I gently rubbed it with my hands.

The wire cage was replaced.

When I began writing this article, I read the part about covering it with wood. I’ll go find a piece of wood before the thaw ends. The wood should keep the roots dry. The lady’s shoe, on the other hand should never be allowed to dry out. This hybrid is meant to be easy!

Why even try? One thing is that I have seen acaule growing less than a half-mile away, further down our street. It’s not unreasonable to assume that an easy lady slipper could thrive here. Also, I am not getting younger. If I wait until I am a “better gardener”, I may die first. It’s on my bucket-list. Guess how to become a better gardening? Try to grow plants that you have never grown before.

The most expensive plant that I have ever purchased in my life was completely barerooted, and I had no idea why.

Bliss Weeding: January

As I moved down the bed, I found patches of chickweed.

Chickweed, Stellaria Media germinates easily at temperatures between 52degF (12degC), 68degF 20degC and even 36degF 2degC. It can survive 14degF -10degC. Chickweed can grow under snow because of the insulation effect of the snow, and its tolerance for low light. Since I was there, and I had an empty tub nearby, I couldn’t help but pull it.

The roots were left behind but the stems were easily removed. They may have been embedded in the frozen soil near their tips. I could have done a much better job if I’d gone to the shed to get my gardening knife, but this was only supposed to be a short walk around the yard and I already had other things to do inside. Rule Number One: Always Take your hand pruners, and your gardening blade before you go anywhere in the yard. (And your [phone] photo.)

It didn’t take long for me to fill my bucket. It’s no wonder it’s called “chickenweed”: chickens love this plant. It’s a favorite of chickens who are on winter rations. Our chickens were happy when I dumped my harvest over the fence and into their yard.

Hope: Signs and Symbols of Spring

I was able to lift my spirits by weeding the garden in January. It was dark, it was wet; it felt wonderful! This put me in a positive frame of mind and I went looking for signs of spring.

The vernal witch hazel I planted ( Hamamelis versnalis), blooms before any of the spring-blooming hybrid witch hazels that I’ve grown ( Hamamelis and intermedia). The native of the south and central parts North America and is hardy up to USDA Zone 4. It’s great to see blooming before the snowdrops.

My neighbor gave me several seedlings of star magnolias. Then, I thought that it was a native, so I planted them all in the woody edges of the fields or lawn. It’s native to Japan. The magnolia pictured above was the largest when I bought it.

The tree is hardy up to USDA Zone 4 but the buds are susceptible to a sudden, cold snap. It didn’t flower at all last year and other woody plants were damaged. It blooms in May.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Plant your earliest-blooming bulbs in the areas where snow melts quickest. The majority of my snowdrops are still a few weeks away from blooming, but those in the warmest microclimate have already started to show. Before the snow, they had started to appear in the first half December.

From my front door, I can see these decorative kales. This color will last as long as there is snow on the ground. The mums of autumn have become mush and the pansies are struggling to bloom. But ornamental kale continues to bring color into winter. The bitter cold, ice, snow and other elements will eventually cause them to tatter and brown, but they still provide interest and enjoyment in my cold climate for much longer than any traditional outdoor autumn plant.