Strange Weather, But Happy Plants

After a cold snap during the holidays, we're warm here in the Midwest--we've been consistently warmer than "normal" since late December, and projected to continue through the 10-day forecast. I'm not complaining: It's definitely more comfortable than normal for this time of year. We've had rounds of light snow, which melts quickly with highs in the 30s and 40s F.

The garden seems OK, but I'm a bit worried about lack of insulation if we suddenly get colder again.



I checked the Hellebores (H. orientalis), and they're definitely budding. I re-covered them with layers of leaf litter to protect them in case of future colder days.



I leave the stems and seeds of last year's plants for overwintering insects (in the stems) and birds (food from the seeds). The Wild Senna (S. hebecarpa) seeds are attractive in their own right.



The mosses are fascinating to study--in every season and all types of weather.



'Autumn Joy' Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) has an attractive burgundy cast and looks lovely coated in light snow. 





In most winters, the Epimediums (E. x rubrum previous and E. x warleyense here) are ravaged by rabbits, but our rabbit numbers seem lower lately. Maybe they'll snack more in the spring.

Climbing rose (Rosa setigera) foliage is still attractive, even as the color fades.

I was surprised to see the Mums (unknown species/cultivar) still show some green; probably because of our mild temperatures.

That's a brief overview of some of the outdoor plants. Shown here is the potted Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata) that spends the winter in the sunroom. Stay tuned for an update on the indoor plants soon.

Happy New Year!

Wordless Wednesday: January Fen

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Wordless Prairie in Midsummer

July 22: prairie midsummer
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May 31: prairie at end of spring

April: prairie following a prescribed burn

March: prairie just before snowmelt

December: prairie before the snow

Wordless Prairie Six Weeks After Prescribed Burn

May 31: prairie at end of spring
[Click on images to enlarge for detail.]

April: prairie following a prescribed burn

March: prairie just before snowmelt

December: prairie before the snow

Wordless Wednesday: The Prairie Burned

April: prairie following a prescribed burn
[Click on images to enlarge for detail.]

March: prairie just before snowmelt

December: prairie before the snow

Wordless Wednesday: Prairie Comparisons

March: prairie just before snowmelt
[Click on images to enlarge for detail.]

December: prairie before the snow

Wordless Wednesday: Prairie Before the Snow

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Results of the #Shortdays Challenge

At the beginning of November, I started a #shortdayschallenge on Instagram. The purpose: to increase my appreciation of the blessings of each day--even through the coldest, shortest days. I wanted to avoid my common habit of wishing the winter away, which can mean missing out on little pleasures and living in a sour state of mind for weeks on end.

Did it work? For the most part, I would say yes, posting about a special thing each day helped me better appreciate the season. Admittedly, this particular winter with its deep polar vortex and erratic temperature and weather changes has been tough. But the #shortdayschallenge did help.

Now that the challenge is completed, I'm cutting back on social media for a
bit--not an official break, but a slowdown. I have some good reasons.



One reason is this little fellow--our new little cockapoo puppy, Nicholas. He's really smart and he's catching on quickly to all things puppies need to learn. I'm trying to savor the time with him as a puppy. It will pass too fast.



Also, I need to get going with some seed-starting! Spring will be here before we know it, and I hope to have some healthy starts to plants for the potager garden. Other family events are keeping me busy, too. So, I apologize for not being as attentive with visits and comments on your posts for a few weeks. Time to prepare for the growing season ahead!

Herbs, Lettuce, and a Repurposed Plant Stand

It's winter, but that doesn't mean the end of growing things, even in a cold climate.



My daughter was ditching a wine rack that she didn't need anymore, so I asked her if I could repurpose it. She said, "sure." So...



I planted some lettuce seeds in window planters and put them in the bottom. (I need to thin them out, but otherwise, they're growing well.)



I thought about doing something with the wine holders, but that would block the sun from the lettuce. Stay tuned for future ideas, or please share them in the comments.

Most of the herbs are taking off, too...

parsley

chamomile

cilantro

oregano

dill

I placed the plant stand in a south-facing window in the sunroom. The room is only partially heated, so it's a little cooler in there than the herbs would prefer. But there's plenty of sun! As the days get longer, I expect even more success.

How about you? Do you grow herbs and edibles indoors during the winter?

Pleasant Views for Botanical Healing

Sooner or later, it happens: Repeated frosts and freezes take the life out of plants, and the growing season ends. Some plants go to seed, like Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), while others remain nearly evergreen, like variegated English Ivy* (Hedera helix). But they all slow down when the weather is cold and the days are short.

I happened to have some strands of both remaining from some floral arrangements, and gazing on them caught me in a reflective mood. I tend to have a bit of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) this time of year, which is normal and manageable if it doesn't get too severe. During my adult life, it never has; I just tend to "nest" more--staying inside, reading good books, eating comfort food, crocheting, and finding fun indoor activities to get me through the shorter days.

Anyway, beyond the fact that these two plants are pretty together...my point is that the fluffy seedheads of the Conoclinium cheer me up. Just looking at them brightens my mood. I think it's a combination of factors: they're attractive seedheads, I enjoy the colors, they are signs of hope for the next growing season, and most of all...they're so soft, cuddly, fluffy, and perfect. Like a warm blanket or a cuddly stuffed animal.







See what I mean? How about you? Are there particular plants, seeds, or flowers that cheer you, calm you, or help improve your mood...just by looking at them?

[PlantPostings is celebrating eight years of blogging this month. Cheers!]

(*Note: I also love English Ivy, but only in pots, since it can become invasive where it's not native, even in cold climates.)

Patience Pays! (and Persistence Revisited)

Back in 2012, we had a major drought here in the Madison area and much of Southern Wisconsin. I realize folks in the Southwest have them frequently, but a drought of this magnitude is rare for us. Our plants, animals, and people really struggle when it happens.

It didn't rain, at all, from mid-June through mid-August, and not much before and after that. We didn't officially come out of the drought until April 2013.

I mention all of this, because the drought set back several areas of the garden, including one near a large Oak tree (shown above) that was brown and dead, even by the next summer.

So, I did a little inexpensive experiment. I try to introduce only native plants back in the woods, to keep the area as close to "natural" as possible. I seeded the area with Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) and Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). Both are native, rabbit-resistant, woodland plants, and they tolerate some summer drought. Plus, I like them.

Much to my surprise, by the next summer, the area was filled with Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris), and even Great White Trilliums (T. grandiflorum) and other native plants that hadn't been there before!



Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Sedge was spotty, and the Virginia Bluebells looked like this, with no blooms, for several years.



Until now! Do you see it?



How about now?



Yes! Buds!



Several of the Virginia Bluebells will bloom very soon! Cheers!



Maybe someday in the not-too-distant future, I'll have a healthy patch of them back there, like this grouping I saw during a hike.



Oh, by the way, the plants that were snowed in at my last post survived, and are now thriving with our near-perfect springtime weather. Boy, they're tough!

I'm linking this post--because of the native, about-to-bloom Virginia Bluebells--to Gail's Wildflower Wednesday meme, over at Clay and Limestone. Check it out!