One month gone, eleven still to be enjoyed this year. While some gardeners are experiencing the alarming effects of the polar vortex, others are enjoying the earliest signs of the coming spring. My garden is a mixed bag this month. The upper level of the landscape is bleak. Most of the trees haven't leafed out yet, and their branches look stark and ungainly. The garden beds, however, are full of daffodils, azaleas, and camellias in bloom, so I'm keeping my eyes trained on this lower level.
This month's thumbnail photo is from the zodiac. I have a birthday in February and I have several Aquarius bushes because friends have assumed (correctly) that this rose bush is the perfect birthday gift for me.
Facing major surgery near the end of the month, I knew I wouldn't be in any shape to plant any roses for a few months. To top everything off with my roses, I had 13 roses in 2 and 3 gal. pots buried under a pile of leaf's. Being on the south side of the house, they get full blast sun all day. I uncovered them this morning and everything is actively growing. The cold weather (low 20's for 4 days) didn't bother them at all. Being in pots, the sun heated them up and they started growing. So, I planted them today. I don't see any hard freezes for the rest of the month. If we have anything nasty, I should be able to cover everything with leaf's in have piled up. I'm also hoping going into the cool ground, it will slow things down a little. We shall see what happens.
