HappyNew Years - SNOW and "MY TWO FRONT TEETH"

[Ann B.]

Happy New Year My Gardening Friends!

This new year is starting out 'mighty exciting' here. We are under a Winter Storm Warning, and yes, our home is right on the line where possibility of 'wintery precipation' begins. So, who knows, Hunter may get his wish, just maybe.

On the other news front, many 7 year olds want their 2 front teeth for Christmas, but Hunter already has one, and we were beginning to wonder if he would be 8 years old before losing is second front baby tooth. But to our surprise, the Tooth Fairy won't get a New Year's night break as the second front tooth will be awaiting the Fairy under Hunter's pillow tonight.

It is bitter cold and wet here, which helps me to understand when friends just north of here say, "I just don't feel like gardening now." There is a possibility that it will drop to 20 degrees tomorrow night.

As for me, I am ready to add lots of updates to www.landspro.com. You will be hearing all about them in the near future.

I sincerely wish you all a Happy New Year and the Best of Years to Come!

Your Friend,

[Log Cabin Pat]

Happy New Years
We are very cold here too, and have a dusting of snow. It is not going to get above freezing for several days and the nights are in the teens. My unheated green house gets 20 deg. at night but everything in there still looks good. I'm a little concerned about the water plants esp. the umbrella palm but have taken a few to the heated GH. I checked my records from last year and planted most of my flower seeds the second week of Jan. and by the looks of the calendar I will do the same this year. Now is my busy time. I have lots of cuttings on heat, the hardest thing is keeping the cats off them, I don't know what is worse cats or mice. We have had more sun than usual and I have to water more often, the little pots dry out very fast, I watch the weather and if it is going to be cloudy for several days I don't water the dormant plants.

How is the weather every where else?

Pat

[Ann B.]

Pat, Thanks for helping to wake up the board. Now that the holidays are over, I am hoping everyone will become more active.

The Snow passed us by again. Hunter was so tired from trying to stay up until midnight New Years Eve (only made it to 9:45) that he fell hard asleep in 15 minutes last night. This allowed the Tooth Fairy to make an early run and try to get some rest. Thank goodness this tooth fell out by itself, the first few needed a little assistance, and he didn't like that at all.

It is in the low 30's outside. The small ceramic heater in the greenhouse and one in the patio seem to be keeping the temps around 40-42 degrees. But tonight is another story. They are now saying that it will only drop to 25 (rather than 20). We will put the kerosene heater in the green house. I am not sure what we will do in the patio.

I am still learning about kittens. This is our first winter to have kittens running around inside. I have had to move all my houseplants to the patio and garage, and as you can imagine, I am not really excited about that. Even my beloved Amaryllis are having to bloom on the patio, but we do love the kittens, so this will have to be. We had to settle for a tiny Christmas Tree on the fireplace mantle because the 10 month old kitten weighs 15 lbs and would make havoc with our normal 10 foot tree. Thank goodness Santa understood.

Hunter goes back to school tomorrow. After 1 day of holiday, he was bored and ready for the holidays to end. After 2 weeks, I second the motion.

Till Later...

[KatieBelle]

Greetings, this is my first time to post and I'm certaintly looking forward to this coming gardening year. It is starting off here in Texas as extremely cold, 18 at sunrise. This is the coldest it has been here in probably 8 years.

My greenhouse is also unheated but I will be putting a heater in for tonight. I have a separate seedroom to grow off seeds that is also unheated but, I brought all of those inside, also alot of Brugsmansia cuttings and Morning Glory Bushes that were rooting in water. I couldn't believe that they were still in such great shape in the cold water that they've been in since the 1st of December, new roots and all. It was truly a learning experience because I always heard that the water has to be warm, but these were far from warm.

I am certaintly looking forward to all the information that we can gleam from each other and pass along. I have learned so much from the information that you have made available to each of us interested in the tried and true techniques and hopefully I can do the same and also pass things along that I have learned through the years. I commend you on a great website and thanks for making it available to each of us.

Katiebelle

[Ann B.]

Katie Belle,

Welcome! I am always excited when someone from Texas joins. Half of my relatives live in Texas, and I worked in Texas for many years (in my younger life).

Speaking of Brugsmansia, I am experiencing a similar situation. My neighbor gave me some yellow brugsmansia seeds and asked if I could grow some for him. I said, sure! I told him that I could also grow them from cuttings, and the next day, I noticed some cuttings laying on top of the garbage can beside the garage door.

They weren't in water (I forgot to tell him that), so they were badly wilted, but they were loaded with unripened seed pods. Since they are toxic, I sent Hunter inside, grabbed a bucket, filled it with water, then made fresh cuts at the bottom of the stems and plunged them into the bucket of water.

Then I cleaned up, made Hunter a snack, went back outside, prepared a few pots and made cuttings from the lower portion of the stems. I left the remaining upper portions in water, and slowly, but surely, the seed pods are ripening. Like you, I left the stems (with pods) in water outside in freezing temperatures. There aren't any roots yet, but the green pods have held on and seem to be continuing to ripen despite the cold.

Now, I see fresh new green leaves growing on the stems that I potted. My neighbor will be thrilled when he gets them this spring.

I also have double purple Datura and some rooted cuttings of peach ones that a newly found friend that I met at the Master Gardening Training gave me. The double purple is not hardy, so I collect lots of seeds, and protect the plant (in a pot) over the winter.

I am not very good at rooting in water, but I have met lots of people who are very successful using this method. I am really glad to have someone on board who is experienced with these techniques and will be looking forward to learning from you.

Thanks!

[jimtx]

The winter weather has hit the Dallas area ... and my "Old Rose" cuttings are still hanging in. All of my plants are now in my converted green house ... otherwise known as my garage. Cuttings are under lights .... rest are fighting for light near the windows and rotated frequently.

Goal is survival until spring ... frantic planting to follow ..

New rose bed in the planning stage ....

Looking forward to a little "Rose Rustling" .... gets to be addictive ... the hunt as much as seeing the first new leaves on the cuttings. Not sure where I will plant the survivors ... believe I have multiple cuttings from about 20+ different rose bushes and hope to find more. Don't expect to have any trouble giving them away if need be.

Time to put another log on the fire and let the dog out.... duty calls.

Jim

[Ann B.]

Jim,

I left the new rose bushes that I rooted in early/mid summer outdoors in 1 gallon pots. It remains to be seen as to how well they will survive. Time will tell as the temperature dropped to below 20 degrees here this morning.

The cuttings from my Mom's rose bush that I took in late summer are in the greenhouse and seem to be flourishing. I didn't want to take a chance with these as several family members want one, and I have had difficulty propagating this variety in the past.

Good Luck and Sharpen that shovel, spring will be here before you know it!