joene's garden » winter in Connecticut

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: January in Connecticut

joenesgarden — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:47:45 +0000

With no blooms in my outdoor gardens eyes are drawn to the subtle colors of a so-far snowless winter. I bundled up for a winter morning photo stroll to see what winter color might reveal itself for this first Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, kindly hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, of 2012.

Temperatures fell below 10 degrees Fahrenheit this morning in south-central Connecticut causing mountain laurel and rhododendron shrubs to curl their leaves in response to the cold.

I think the rhodos jealously eyed my winter garb as I walked by.

Holly, boxwood and pieris of different shapes and sizes add to the green contrast brought by native-growing mountain laurels and gardener-planted rhododendron. Young junipers and spruce will add their blue-gray tones to the landscape as they mature. But now the gardens are dressed in shades of brown highlighted with small touches of whatever green still survives the cold.

Golden shades ornamental grasses pick up early morning sun …

not to be outdone by copper tones of beech.

A newly planted Pieris japonica 'Dorothy Wycoff' hints at the intense purple shades its larger future-self will bring to the winter landscape,

while foxglove and carex dot beds with shades of green.

Winter calls for celebration of even the slightest touch of color. This tiny rose hip could easily be overlooked and that would be a shame.

Inside, protected from the winter cold, an amaryllis leans toward the light as it's companion, a holiday cactus, looks on.

Coleus brighten nighttime views of the window above the kitchen sink.

Houseplants happily soak up whatever morning sun the weather allows.

Garden color isn't always about flowers, or about gardening outdoors. Sometimes we must relish in color, contrast and light during chilly winter walks and from the protected warmth of home.

But flowers do tend to lighten a winter mood so join me as I head over to the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day links posted at May Dreams Gardens. There are always mood-lifting blossoms to enjoy there.

Garden thoughtfully.

Categories: Bloom Day, Seasons.
Tags: Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, gardening in Connecticut, indoor gardening, winter in Connecticut.

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Uncovering winter – Gardening Oops continued

joenesgarden — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:19:40 +0000

Welcome to March 2011 … just 19 days till Spring.

It's still chilly and snow still covers much of the Connecticut landscape just outside my windows, but signs of spring are evident.

Since this is the first day of March it's time for another of my Gardening Oops – GOOPs for short - installments. I share my gardening blunders in the hope that my confessions will help other gardeners avoid making the same faux pas. This month's subject is a continuation of February's Gardening Oops when I shared my worry that my small boxwoods might not survive this season's severe weather. My GOOPs? Not covering these boxwoods with some sort of support that would divert the weight of snow and ice falling from a porch overhang.

Just a month ago there was no sign boxwoods even existed under the heavy snow, but they are there under the mounds of white stuff along the front edge of the porch.

Today I can report good news and bad. Snow and ice has melted away from the two small shrubs on either side of the front steps.

These little survivors were complete encased in ice from earlier snow melt dripping from gutters above. I think this is what saved them.

They show no signs of damage from the extensive snow weight they endured and the ice doesn't, as yet, appear to have damaged them. Larger boxwood would probably not have survived as well, though, so as these shrubs grow they will definitely need some winter protection.

Their nearby neighbors don't appear to have been so lucky. These boxwoods are planted a few more inches outward from the gutter drip line so they had minimal ice build up when the heavy snows hit. With snow still melting away I can see evidence of distorted and broken branches. The weight of the snow bent over the branches of the shrub on the left and continues to pull down branches of the shrub on the right.

Had I taken the time to shelter these shrubs they would have survived the snow weight unscathed. Lesson learned … the hard way.

I'm not sure how much more pruning these little shrubs can take. Last spring they had a serious case of boxwood leaf miner. I had to prune away as many of the infested parts as possible, and douse each with horticultural oil to suffocate any remaining leaf miners. The tactic seemed to work and I had high hopes this growing season would bring new life and more pleasing shapes to the shrubs. Now I wonder what type of mangled mess I'll find once the remaining snow melts.

Do you have a gardening blunder you are willing to share? You can leave your confession in a comment below or leave us a teaser below that leads to your own blog. We can all learn from each other as long as we are willing to share.

Categories: GOOPs-Gardening Oops.
Tags: boxwood, gardening oops - GOOPs, snow damage, winter in Connecticut.

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Winter weight – a gardening oops

joenesgarden — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:06:00 +0000

Welcome February … the month I'd like to settle into winter suspended animation. Tucked nicely into my house-cocoon I'd immerse my thoughts deeply into my gardens, visualizing, creating, and revising ideas for improved soils, better perennial combinations, new shrubs, and fresh-picked sun-drenched vegetables and berries.

But, just outside my walls, reality is falling in the form of millions of unique snowflakes. When these little guys get together and have a party they invariably beckon me outward for a little snowflake management. This season, snowflakes have had an ongoing bacchanal – they're drunk on moisture and are having so much fun that every few days more of their kind arrive to join the merry-making.

'Here we go again,' is the quote repeated by those trying to manage the seemingly never-ending snowflake merriment. And, in true winter fashion, this month's Gardening Oops – GOOPs for short – is snow-related.

Regular visitors here know that on the first of each month I confess one of the gardening mistakes or missteps I've made during the many years I've worked the soils and greenery in south-central Connecticut. Anyone can join this confessional. Just admit a GOOPs in a comment below or post a GOOPs on your own blog and leave a teaser comment below.

My February 2011 GOOPs is a combination of my own neglect and unpredictable factors.

I planted small boxwood shrubs along the edge of a covered porch, one on each side of the front steps and others equally spaced along the porch-front planting beds. In doing so I forgot to allow for the typical icicle formation and dripping that occurs along the gutter edges during snow melt. The two boxwood on either side of the steps are directly below the drip line. Each year we have heavy snow, these little guys become encased in ice. Each year I mean to ask my hubby to build an inverted v-shaped cover to protect the shrubs so the covers – instead of my little shrubs - bear the weight of the ice and snow.

Each year I forget.

Thankfully, in previous years, my boxwoods have forgiven winter onslaughts. When not bumped or piled under shoveled snow, the small shrubs have recouped quite well. If they were larger this, likely, would not have been the case.

This year's record snowfall – about 4 feet fell in January with most still on the ground – may be more than my boxwoods can stand. Before they were completely invisible under mounds of drifted snow, each was totally encased in at least an inch of ice.

Yes, there are shrubs buried in the photo here.

I have no idea how they will fair once their winter tomb melts but, with no protection from the weight of the ice and snow, they are apt to have some significant damage.

The lesson? Protect any shrubs planted under the drip-line of your house from potential ice formation during the winter. We have no way of knowing if current weather patterns will continue. If we go back to having really tough winters – like the current one – this may be the only way to prevent serious shrub damage.

The bright side?

I don't have to worry about deer getting at the buried shrubs.

I do, however, wonder whether my rhododendrons will survive the season unscathed by deer browsing. The 5-foot chicken wire fencing installed around the rhodos will not stop any determined deer. Look closely – there's chicken wire peeking up out of the snow drift. Really hungry deer may try to navigate even these drifts to reach a nice green meal.

Now it's your turn to share a GOOPs – we all have them. Don't be shy.

Categories: GOOPs-Gardening Oops, Seasons.
Tags: gardening in Connecticut, gardening oops - GOOPs, ice, snow, winter in Connecticut.

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Dear Connecticut Gardeners

joenesgarden — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:34:50 +0000

Yes we are all facing scenes like this …

Four feet of snow on the ground from one month's worth of storms tends to get the gardener's spirits down.

But we are a hardy bunch.

Just keep repeating, 'Next month we can say spring starts next month.'

And before we know it our lives will again be filled with color.

Categories: Gardening, Seasons.
Tags: winter in Connecticut.

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An unusual visitor

joenesgarden — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:27:29 +0000

We had an unexpected visitor recently. It came by during the mid-morning hours in the midst of a snowstorm. It moved stealthily through the snow … came and went with no warning. Had I not spotted its movement through the woods behind the house its visit might have gone unnoticed. But the movement I saw was not that of a deer, nor was it the lighter brown color of deer.

When our visitor came into full view I realized it was a fisher – Martes penanti – a member of the weasel family.

The fisher circled our house three times, following the same route through the woods out back, the driveway on one side, the front yard, the side yard, and back to the woods. It only stopped briefly in the front yard, which is when my favorite photographer caught this shot.

We have no idea what it was doing … didn't see anything it could have been chasing. But it seemed to move with purpose and intent as it circled then gracefully wandered off to wooded parts unknown.

Later that morning I photographed some of the tracks the fisher left in the snow.

Since voles and mice are on fishers' prey list, I hope to notice declined numbers of each during the next few months.

I'd love to see the fisher again. This is my first glimpse of one. Though fishers have a rather nasty reputation, this one moved so smoothly through the snow. It was a marvel to watch.

Anyone have any fisher experiences to share?

Categories: Creatures, Seasons.
Tags: fisher, Martes penanti, winter in Connecticut.

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