Saturday, January 25, 2014

How a Gardener Survives Winter

It's been a tough winter throughout much of the country. We've had record cold, and record snowfalls. It's enough to make a gardener crazy! I find winters difficult to tolerate anyway, but the extra, extra cold temperatures have made it all the worse.
Normally I can tolerate winter with some coping techniques I've perfected. First, I find that I do better if I go right out into the snowy weather and take pictures. Not this year, the arctic cold keeps me inside.
 I also make sure to visit Franklin Park Conservatory to see the greenery. Haven't done that yet, still too frigid and the roads are too icy. Sigh...
Another thing to make winter more tolerable is to visit the floral departments at big box stores. They have blooming plants of all kind, and bringing one home is a sure fire spirit lifter. I did purchase one tiny grocery store primrose plant, but I need more to overcome this spell of bad weather.
One of my favorite sanity savers is to go through the seed catalogs that bombard our mailboxes this time of year. This is my chance to plan my garden for the year. Not sure why I haven't started this project yet. Maybe I need to have complete cabin fever before I do.

But my favorite way to make the winter go by more quickly is to simply go through my picture files from last summer.
Just by looking at them, I know that winter will eventually end. It will be warm again, someday.
I find myself smiling the whole time I'm looking at them.
Now I know that summer comes every year. Winter always ends, followed by spring, then summer. This we all know is true. It's just a little hard to believe with a winter like this.

Looks like I'd better use all my best tricks to survive this kind of winter with my sanity intact. Guess it's time to get out those seed catalogs and start planning!

16 comments:

  1. Oh, beautiful flowers...I miss you so!

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    1. Oh yes Melanie, I miss them too! I can't wait till they come back!

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  2. I needed all this color to look at today. Your garden was so beautiful last summer. Mine drown in the clay soil and was awful looking. I have been drooling over the catalogs and dreaming of blooms. LOL! Your Snapdragons were just so pretty and the yellow yarrow also. Thanks for brightening my day.

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    1. Thanks Lona! I figured that yellow flowers would cheer us all up. I hope to grow snapdragons again, but the pretty ones in the picture faded quickly after this. I have a problem with rust, and I can't grow anything from that family, including hollyhocks. Darn it!

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  3. Robin girl these pictures are simply gorgeous as is your garden ! .. Yes this winter is a long one and "to be continued"
    I look over my pictures to imprint in my mind that there is a garden or two under that snow and it will come back ... eventually?
    Loved seeing yours girl !
    Joy

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    1. Thanks so much Joy! I just couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to blog anything about winter, but once in awhile I have to go back through my old photos and drool. My snow is finally gone, but the bitter cold is back. Heavy sigh!

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  4. Your photos are refreshing! I know I will get no sympathy from you, but we are supposed to hit single digits again tomorrow night. The weather forecasters are also saying the big S word (Snow!) for us tomorrow during the day. I'll believe it when I see it!

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    1. This winter has been rough on everyone, north or south, so I understand. Our snow finally melted, but the polar vortex is making another round. Argh!

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  5. You are not alone. There are many gardeners suffering through this prolonged Winter madness! I made a dahlia order, only to find that the early "birds" were on top of it and got the best tubers - the ones I want are gone! So make haste with your seed order!

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    1. Don't worry, my seeds are now tucked safely away, waiting for spring. I can hardly wait to plant them!

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  6. The perfect way to chase the winter blues, Robin, looking at pics of your beautiful summer garden! I plan on tackling those seed catalogs this weekend. P. x

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    1. Ah, winter seed catalogs, like porn for gardeners! LOL

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  7. Your yellow roses are gorgeous!
    I wish I had more luck with them.
    Such beautiful pics, Robin...came across many favorites!
    Yes, I agree...winter passes much more quickly this way ;D

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    1. Yellow roses are a real favorite of mine, like so many other yellow flowers. They just look like sunshine to me.

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  8. Such gorgeous photos. Ones I'd never get tired of looking at! Bright and cheerful to get us through Winter!

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    1. That was the whole idea Kelli, to find every bright and sunny yellow thing I could find to make winter fade away.

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