I was out on Saturday enjoying the weather with my housecat that loves to sneak outdoors. I kept thinking that I had so much to do in the yard because it felt like spring.
But, the holidays have kept me very busy (and a new job), so no work was done outside. I'm ready for some colder weather, though, and maybe a little snow.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

I pruned my grapes, cleared out my old tomato vines, and planted radishes and turnips.

In my decorative garden, I planted some pale yellow and purple pansies and a pom pom juniper.

My spring flowering bulbs are taking advantage of this weather by emerging rapidly thru lots and lots of extra mulch, so I have been busy applying more mulch and talking to my flowers, suggesting them taking a nap for few months.

Hi Everyone,

Well, I've been fully taking advantage of this glorious weather. With the help of a neighbor, I dug and transplanted two large Loropetallums. Bless Virginia for her help! We also have taken it upon ourselves to cut back a huge infestation of kudzu on the property directly across from me. The City will probably soon include kudzu control in its Code, but meanwhile we're doing what we can to keep it from killing huge oaks. Also doing fence repair and power washing so I can paint several hundred feet of really sad looking 6' privacy fence. Hope another neighbor will take pity on me and get his power washer to me.

Have taken down side fencing. That was easy. Getting the posts out of the ground is another story. Those suckers are about 2' in the ground. What were they thinking??

I feel very blessed at this time of year. Moved last year to a wonderful town, have four the my grands very nearby and have benefitted greatly from the caring folks on GardenWeb.

My best to all, Rosie in Sugar Hill

Yes the weather has been beautiful but I haven't accomplished much.
I don't feel so well: My hands are shaking and my knees are weak, I can't seem to stand on my own two feet. For you kids out there those are lyrics from Elvis' song "All Shook Up."
What I would "like" to do is cut down some existing trees and plant some of the ones I have grafted which are cutting-edge hybrid American seedless persimmons. I would also like to plant some nut trees like butternut, heartnut and english walnut. My garden also needs a lot of neatening up as my wife is complaining about the piles of junk I have. The front yard looks okay, it's the back that is a disgrace.
I have been hauling in bags of leaves for the past two years and spreading them around in the back so at least I don't have to cut any grass back there and eventually it will break down into duff that will become humus-rich top soil. I can look at my 'Vulcan' magnolia and see there are no flower buds on it so there will be no looms next year even though it bloomed last year. My 'Stellar Pink' dogwood, which is a cross between cornus kousa and cornus florida, has been such a disappointment over the years that I cut it down and will plant something else in its place.
The grandson is here today so I may not get a thing done again today in the garden but it is a worthwhile trade off.

So I can take what is probably the equivalent of 100 bags of leaves and throw them on my grass in the back to keep it from growing? Sorry to be so stupid but I had no idea. I'm without a lawn mower for the time being - have blown most of the leaves in the front - from two huge white oaks - around the corners of the yard and the base of the trees, and the pile around my fence is at least 3 feet high. It's covering up the ivy though ... will it kill that too?? That would be too good to be true.

Lol, dugin. Try replacing the leaf pile with concrete and see if that will kill the ivy. If you live anywhere near Sugar Hill, you can borrow my mower.
I've been using the warm days to do the cleanup I should have done a month ago. Cutting up leaves for the compost pile, cutting back dead stems in the flower gardens, and tackling the pile of black nursery pots that grows and grows and grows. I'm still putting off edging the flower beds. Anyone want to bet that I'll still be putting it off this time next year?

Taking advantage? You bet. Early in the week, I weeded the veggie patch, then after the first lush rains, I laid down mulch while adding a few more milkjug heat sinks, which along which the polypropylene rowcover protects these plots from the fearce colds surely to come in January, February, and early March.

Additionally, with my earliest fall planting of coriander showing signs of going to seed, soon I'll harvest those plants and sow more lettuce and chinese cabbage. Both will be greens for salads in March and April. Hmm, second thought: I'll add arugula (roquette) to that mix!

Further, I'm seriously thinking of taking off Wednesday for another hike in the wildlife refuge. After all these rains, the creeks may finally be flowing. That will be a mighty adventure.

BB

I was out "combing" leaves out of the thyme pathway yesterday, and enjoying the tommy crocus which are all coming up. Hubby took advantage of the day and did me a HUGE favor and raked up the rest of the back yard and chopped all the leaves and put them into contractors bags (which we re-use several times for the same method) - alternating with some alfalfa and a sprinkle of water to get things going. Like Eddie's wife, my hubby often complains of our "white trashiness" backyard areas like the huge piles of these bags just waiting to be used in the next year or so. I need to plant some shrubs to use as a feature to hide a fair size composting area....

I have been harvesting veggies, and with the cold snap we had, and then the warm spell, everything is so delicious!! The mizuna came back like wildfire, and the tender shoots where so good with the lettuce mix. A few spring onions and sweet California Giant radishes and that was dinner last night.
I planted swiss chard pretty late in the season, so it's slow growing. Hopefully we can eat that when it gets colder.

Tomorrow I start the first of the winter sowing!

GGG

Thanks for the reminder about winter sowing GGG. I've sort of given up on it, but do want to winter sow some more trycirtis and celadine poppies. That's all I'm doing this year. Guess it's time to get started.

This is turning out to be a warmer winter than last year and that was pretty darn mild.