It is quiet. I've either been over on the Winter Sowing forum trying to figure out what to do with some of my seeds or I've been stripping wallpaper. Ugh!! You'll have to think up some topics to get us through winter. Please distract me from stripping wallpaper.

I made similar comments on this forum last year. I guess we have just run out of steam for a little while. All I have been able to do recently is do garden clean-up, which isn't my favorite chore. We all get antsy about gardening after the holidays when we are in the dead of winter blahs.
Furthermore, I write a monthly Master Gardener newsletter and I have to come up with interesting topics. Anyone have any ideas for me?

That seems to be a perennial problem on some of these forums - lack of participation, but it seems to come in spells. You would think that in the largest state East of the Mississippi located at the botanical center of the universe that there would be more said. I remember once when no one had posted on the Garden Writers forum for what seemed like months and I started a post titled "funeral service." In it I said that since the forum was so inactive (dead) we should hold a funeral service for it. Well that did it, people came out of the woodwork chastising me. Lurkers that never had anything to say suddenly had an opinion about me and my audacious negative attitude. Oh well, what can you do?

Um, I kind of have only rather depressing things to write about the garden, so I didn't!
On the other hand, I finally FINALLY came up with the definative "side yard" plan (instead of settling for something oh, say EASY!).

GGG

I'm so busy this time of year with hosting Thanksgiving and having my duaghters birthday party the following week.

Also just having a new baby ties me way up. I'm still trying to get to all my garden clean up done which seems hopeless.

I know come January I'll be so ready again to get out into the garden and back into the swing of things.

I think I'm going to pass on the winter sowing this year. Last year I only a few germinate so it didn't seem worth my time. I'm sure I did something wrong though.

Cath

I'm not doing so much in the garden now. These first few cold days chase me back inside until my blood gets used to it. I come out on the occasional warm days.

The only digging I do lately is on native plant rescues. Went on Sunday and got some nice things: evergreen galax, maidenhair fern (now dormant), witch hazel (there was a beautiful one about 10 feet tall that had been knocked down by the loggers; it was blooming up a storm!) and other things. I planted most of this in a side area that I have been enhancing lately. Can't wait to see how it looks come spring.

An idea for your newsletter, Yo, is taking time to evaluate the garden for winter interest. Now that the foliage is gone, what looks good, what areas need structure? How could you make improvements to make it look better next winter. Luckily in this area, trees and shrubs can still be planted. Adding benches and other hardscape materials can be done any time.

I'm outside A LOT during this time of year, and not inside on the computer. There is a lot of yardwork and fall cleanup to be done right now, as well as gardening. Maybe that explains why people aren't online.

Personally I don't know how anyone can just "lurk".
But I'm a bigmouth and have an opinion for everything it seems.

I like Ellen's idea for the newsletter! I think I managed to do pretty good in the winter interest department.

I'd like to see an article explaining soil descriptions to me. Know how you see "does best in rich soil"? Well, I pretty much guess they aren't talking about clay - but what is rich soil? What is moist, but well-drained? What is thin soil? What, for that matter, is well-drained? I think it would a good newsletter topic. Or if you want a broader topic, how about the other terms that appear in catlogs and garden books. Heavy feeder? Fertilize lightly? Prune lightly? I would love to see terms explained. That's my thin, rich, but well-drained suggestion.

good to know that everyone is still there and OK!

Moved to GA from VA in Dec 2004. My first spring and summer was GREAT! I had a fabulous rose garden with the help of rose tea. The roses worked me but they were just beautiful. My camellia garden was planted a month and a half ago and doing well, daylily garden didn't do so well, soil to acid and wet (the clay). My azaleas lost about 4 relatives but the survivors are doing well and I planted 10 more. Everything I could divide I did to cut cost. I have amended the soil but it will take years. Hopefully all the improvements and changes I've made will be wonderful. I'm already looking forward to next year. I have planted my heart out. Yeah, I might still be doing clean up but I am dreaming up next years garden. Best wishes and happy holidays.