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January 22, 2010

January thaw

Filed under: Miscellaneous — Tags: , — Judy @ 6:58 pm

January sky

This week definitely qualifies as our “January thaw.” Temps in the high 30’s, low 40’s with brilliant sunshine have melted most of the snow. I worked outside today savoring the warmth of the sun, listening to the birdies, and generally enjoying Mother Nature. The Cabaret grass was starting to disperse its broken blades hither and thither so I cut that back and found a few more things to take care of that got missed in the Fall cleanup. It was good to breathe the fresh air and get some of the cobwebs out of the brain. The picture above shows the evening sky here tonight with a promise of another pretty day tomorrow.

Downtown FlagstaffMeanwhile, relatives down in Flagstaff AZ are experiencing some real winter weather. This picture was taken Thursday before it started raining, followed by a possible 2-4 feet more of snow. They are celebrating with a “snow-pocalypse” party!

Then, family in California are deluged by rain with mudslides and mandatory evacuations in their area, and my sister in Texas has had record low temps with frost damage to her plants. Seems like Mother Nature is not happy elsewhere in the country!

What is going on in your neck of the woods?

January 14, 2010

Winter sights

Filed under: Our gardens — Tags: , , — Judy @ 1:49 pm

Grasses in winter

Today is a beautiful sunny day. Cold, but definitely an encouraging day to go out and get some fresh air. The camera went along and we took some pictures to show why winter is another wonderful season around here. Above, the shrubs and grasses wear little snow berets!

The Blues in winter

This year I didn’t cut The Blues (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’) back before winter. I often cut the whole bunch and use them as decorations in the house, in vases or on wreaths, but I wanted to see what their winter interest would be this year. I love the way the grass goes from green through blues through grayish-purples throughout the year and its contrast against the snow is very pretty.

Blueberries in winter

And then there are the blueberry bushes! You can just see the little reddish buds, all ready to burst into bloom when the time is right. Oooh, I can just taste those berries now!

Cabaret grass in winter

And finally, the Cabaret grass (Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cabaret’) – full and dramatic in its golden winter coloring against the snow. I must remember to cut this grass down early as it will shatter all over the place in the Spring winds. But for now, Cabaret is awesome next to the big rock.

What is interesting in your garden now?

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