thats OK.. it will come ...

and if it doesnt.. you will still have your garden ...

and whatever you would have otherwise spent ...

i think the lack of snow cover .. and the mildness.. has not really caused the normal jan/feb, deep grey MI/z5 depression.. which requires the escapism of catalogs, etc ...

take care

ken

Hi Michele,

I think Ken is right about this dreary season tending to cause depression. Did you order any new varieties to look forward to this year? If you start any seeds early under fluorescent lights, just working under the bright lights can have a good effect on you. Bright lights are a treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

I have some home-hybridized zinnia seedlings going under fluorescent lights right now. I'm definitely feeling motivated to grow a bunch of zinnias this year. Last Summer I crossed this trumpet-petaled mutant zinnia with a bunch of my "regular" zinnias, and I can't wait to see how those crosses turned out.

{{gwi:2242}}
I am hoping the trumpet petal shape will get bigger in crosses with bigger zinnias. I have several other crosses waiting to "show their stuff", but that trumpet-petaled mutant was "one in a million". I have never had such a distinctly different zinnia appear before. If the "trumpets" could be really big, I think it would be a novel flower form for zinnias.

Anyway, think about some new things you can do or try in your garden this year. Maybe you could shop for some different seeds in some of the online seed stores. Or get a new garden tool. I have a rolling tractor seat that I really like. I like to do as much garden work sitting down as I can. It has a holder for a handy plastic basket or a bucket on the back. I use both as the occasion arises.

ZM
(not associated with any product or vendor mentioned or linked)

No, no - I totally get what Ken is saying. It's usually cold and snow-covered and c-o-l-d in Michigan this time of year, but this year it's been quite mild (40s has not been unusual, with a few 50s in January, not much snow but did get some today - was beautiful out there!). Because it's been mild, it's like last season never really ended...we're used to the seasons marking things up here.

Really look forward to soaking in a tub on a cold, snowy day with my seed catalogues - have been deprived of that this year. Maybe that's what's causing it, who knows. Or maybe I just have so many other things going on I just am not taking the time to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of perusing and daydreaming about/planning for the upcoming season. Eh, probably a combination of the above :O/

Not one to suffer from SAD (though I sometimes do get a bit "down" on a very overcast day) - I love to be outside, I'm an avid walker, I'm out there rain, snow, cold, hot, at midnight, whatever - I swear the fresh air does the mind and body nothing but good, the combination of fresh air and a good 4-5 mile walk every day keeps the stress and sadness at bay (and me fitting into my dresses...) :0)

Michele,

"It's usually cold and snow-covered and c-o-l-d in Michigan this time of year, but this year it's been quite mild (40s has not been unusual, with a few 50s in January, not much snow but did get some today - was beautiful out there!). Because it's been mild, it's like last season never really ended...we're used to the seasons marking things up here. "

It is 4 degrees here in rural Ottawa as I type this. And I am pretty sure this frigid air came from you guys. I think we can declare an end to the unseasonably mild season. We haven't had any snow yet here. Less than a tenth of an inch for the entire Winter so far. This is really hard on the evergreen trees around here. They still have green foliage and water loss because of that and yet their roots don't have much water available. We have one dead pine tree and another dying. And the unseasonably mild season that we also had here has "faked out" some of the trees. The tree just outside my window started to bud out. This single digit temperature can't be good for it now.

"I love to be outside, I'm an avid walker, I'm out there rain, snow, cold, hot, at midnight, whatever - I swear the fresh air does the mind and body nothing but good..."

I'm not as hardy as you in that regard. I do like to be outside when it is nice, and I did some garden clean-up work a couple of days ago as this cold spell was moving in. I wore a ski mask during that last day. In the previous mild period I took advantage of the opportunity to till my garden while the soil was still unfrozen and workable. That exposed some of those over-wintering bugs, and I imagine they are not liking this 4-degree air right now. Your Michigan air is going to keep me inside today, tending to my indoor garden.

I am encouraged that you are not one to suffer from SAD. I am a little unnerved that we haven't had any snow yet. Now I am wondering what kind of Spring and Summer we are going to have. Climate change? Oh well. Those zinnias aren't going to re-pot themselves.

ZM

We are more accustomed to having warmer winters here in Oklahoma. What we were not accustomed to were the last two winters we had, with snowfall up to 14" at a time! Nobody here knows how to drive in it. So I have really enjoyed what has become the "norm" for us. I take my little 20 month old GD out for walks in the yard and I can look at all the little things that draw her attention in a totally new way. We have Henbit and Creeping Speedwell, as well as a few Dandelions blooming, blooms on the Daffodils, lots of things starting to grow.

We did get snow Sunday, about 3 inches, but it's already nearly gone. And today will get into 50s, with tomorrow in the 60s. So, it doesn't last long here.

It's time to start some seeds indoors now, so I'll be doing that plus garden cleanup this week.

Susan

Hi Susan,

We got the same 3-inch snow that you got, breaking our snow drought for this Winter. Ours is still around, although quite soft as our daytime highs have been near or a degree above freezing. A rain tomorrow will probably melt our snow cover off. This weekend will be up towards the 50's, so I will probably do some outside work then.

You guys down in Oklahoma have been having some wild weather. And tornadoes and earthquakes, too. I actually felt one of your earthquakes up here in Kansas while sitting in front of my computer, and I knew it was an earthquake at the time. No books fell off the shelves or anything, but it was an odd feeling to know that this part of Kansas was moving around. I think that was the first earthquake I was in when I was actually aware of it.

I know that weather naturally varies a lot, but it seems to me that we are experiencing some climate change, despite the differences of opinion on the subject. I am wondering when the climate will change enough to cause the USDA to revise their climate zones map. If they do, maybe we will become Zone 6a instead of Zone 5b. I've been wondering about when they would make the climate change "official". I wouldn't mind a little extra growing season here. That could make it easier to grow two generations a year of zinnias outside.

I have some zinnias started inside right now, and a few of them are in bud. I need to re-pot some of them right now, so I am off to do that.

ZM

They have redefined the zone maps but state it is more a matter of changing their data collection with more collection points and changes to GPS inclusion.

I think all gardeners get a year here and there where they lack anticipation. Could simply mean the normal winter planning is gotten too 'same old/same old' and you haven't found anything especially inspiring. Maybe subconsciously you are contemplating some garden changes and don't want to commit to acquisition just yet. As a grower, I had to make that committment of seed orders the summer prior to sales and there were an occasional years where it was just going through the motions. However, by the time I kicked on the germination house and got into warm peat most elbow deep, the thrill came back with a vengence.

Calliope, hee hee hee, I can certainly relate to the feeling once you are "elbow deep in peat moss". I wish I could get away from using this dwindling resource, but the other products on the market are soooooo expensive in comparison.

We do have wild weather here, and gardening, especially for those growing vegetables is especially challenging. Last year, my tomatos totally failed due to the heat and drought. The heat arrived wayyyyy too early, and we had over 60 days of 100+ temps, with no rain. We are still in a moderate drought, but nothing like they are still experiencing in parts of Texas. I heard the other day that beef prices are going up due to the cattle losses in Texas last year. I will pray for rain for those folks in particular.

I think you guys suffered the heat along with us. My sister reported that the high temps were lovely to her, but she is one of those "cold" natured folks, bless her heart!

The snow was gone the next day here, but yesterday a.m., we had freezing fog! There were accidents and falls everywhere. We haven't had that in a very long time. Visibility was down to .1 mile and 0 in some places.

I felt only one of the earthquakes here, but darned if we haven't had a lot. It's a very strange feeling to "feel the earth move under your feet"....... The one largest one we had, did break some windows in buildings downtown in OKC.
We are pretty well prepared for tornados here at this point in the game, but not earthquakes. Don't know that one can actually "prepare" for them anyway. Not like they can predict earthquakes yet, but maybe someday.

I keep telling myself I am going to plant seeds this day or that, but so far haven't gotten around to it. I have a daughter who is ill with an autoimmune disease diagnosed last summer, so I spend most days at her house taking care of my toddler GD - not a bad job at all, cause she is so cute and funny! But, it limits my time for other things. I am in my sixties and after that, I don't have much energy for seed starting or cleaning up the garden. I am going to have to get with it soon, though.

Susan

I completely understand your blahs! Usually by this time of year in Michigan, you are so done with cold and ice and snow (let alone the hours of darkness due to DST) that seed catalogs are an exciting escape and hope of the spring to come.

I moved from Clinton Twp last summer to Colorado for a job (was one of multitude of unemployed in MI) and when I talk to family and friends in MI, all seem to have the blahs, missing the cold and snow. I get a lot of texts and calls wanting to know the latest snowfalls in CO, and they want details! I have to admit, last week when I got 22 inches of snow in about 20 hours, I hid under a blanket, drank hot coffee, and relished in my seed catalogs!

Have you tried going to a nursery to see flowers in bloom to get you going? Bordines, English Garden, Denneweths, or my favorite small garden center, Hessells? Maybe that will put the 'bloom' back in your excitement!

Ah, Hessells - haven't been there in years! Used to live on the East Side (northern Sterling Heights, by Lakeside), have been there many times in years past :0)

I have it on my to-do list this weekend to get my seed order in already. I'm going to start some Browallia this year, those take a little longer under the lights, so I'll probably start them in the next two weeks or so (if I get that order in...), that might jump-start me :0)