Spring can't come soon enough

February feels like the longest month of the year.  There is snow on the ground (unusual for us), but the cardinals have started their summer song.  Maybe we will have an early spring.  I took a tour of the yard yesterday, looking for swelling buds.  I think the Japanese maple will make it, but I'm not so sure about the smoke bush.  It's my first smoke bush, so maybe it is normal for it to look kind of peaked this time of year, just as it is normal for the Rose of Sharon to leaf last.  Fingers crossed.

Inside, things are growing.

Cilantro...

and basil...

... still going strong.  I have been feeding them with liquid from the worm composter, heavily diluted.  I thinned some of the basil last week, and chopped it for spaghetti sauce.  The aroma was overwhelmingly anise.  The variety is Genovese and it is recommended for pesto.  When these babies grow up, there should be plenty for pesto.

Since it is an indoor kind of day, I decided to replenish the dog biscuit supply.

This recipe from MacPherson's K-9 Cookbook is called Flea Fighter Fingers, because of the brewer's yeast and powdered garlic.  They are in the oven right now, and the garlic aroma is giving me a headache, it is that strong.  And I put in only about half the recommended amount, because that is all I had.

One nice thing about making dog biscuits, as opposed to people biscuits, is you can fudge the ingredients and the dog won't care.  Most of the recipes in the book make use of bouillon, but I have been omitting it.  Betsy will eat almost anything, and does not need the extra salt.  I limit her to two a day, so this batch will last about two months.

I am also cooking up the remaining Gold Rush apples that have been sitting in the garage all winter.  They looked a bit wizened, but when I quartered them, the insides were fine.  The fact they remained intact proves there are no critters living in my garage, which is a relief after hearing of my neighbor's problem with shrews.  I like wildlife, as long as it stays outside.

We went to the Home and Garden show this past week.  My SO needs a new roof, so he signed up to get estimates while I chatted up several vendors.  My bathrooms need some work as does my kitchen, and I'd like some kind of solution to the sun beating down on my patio in the afternoon.  It seems like each thing I discussed cost $3000.  That is enough to give me pause.  One task I am definitely going to take care of this year is two new exterior doors.  As for the rest, I will have to meditate on that a while.

February is the longest month of the year

At least it seems that way.  We received a couple of inches of snow Friday night, most of which drifted right in front of the garage door.  It was crusty, too, so shoveling amounted to toting snowbergs.  My neighbors are a little too helpful with their snowblowers sometimes, so I felt like I had to get out early if I wanted the snow to myself.  But both of said neighbors had places to go and I was able to get my exercise in peace.

I did plant the cilantro and today we have germination.  The basil seedlings have their secondary leaves now.

I am using these self-watering systems from Gardeners Supply, but the wick on the one I let dry out is resisting its purpose in life.  Maybe it needs a good soaking to get primed again.

Otherwise, not much happening around here.  How's it going with you?

Plan B

The original plan was to spend the day hauling the privet clippings to the biosolids site, exchanging them for mulch. But after weeks of virtually no rain, the skies opened this morning, with the promise of more scattered showers, gusty winds, and possible hail this afternoon. Tomorrow, however, is supposed to be perfect.

I planned to plant sunflowers this year, but did not, so will have to make do with this volunteer that sprouted by the patio.



This is not the usual variety of impatiens I plant in the flower box on the front porch, but I was impatient (HA!) and purchased the first ones I saw this spring. My only complaint is they are a bit short. I like something that is more visible from the street.



The butterfly bush is not very big yet, but it has started to bloom. I love the rich color.



When clearing out the future raspberry bed, we left some oregano standing. The bees are pleased.



Finally, FINALLY, the trumpet vine blooms. I think it never got enough sun in previous years, but with the demise of a nearby silver maple and the pruning of the privet, we should see some flowers this year. The ants are happy about that.



Love, love, LOVE this apricot daylily.



And the "ditch" daylilies are starting to bloom, later than others around here, I'm guessing because they are not in full sun.



The neighbor to the south is talking about having the clump of trees (one dead apple, several mulberries, and a mystery tree) removed this year. We shall see. He tends to talk more than he walks.

Woodchuck Acres is down one head of livestock.



HipHop suddenly took ill this past week and died before I could get him to the vet. I'm a little broken hearted about it, wondering what happened. Much as I like the bunny guy, I don't plan to get another rabbit. It will be just me, the dog, the cat, and a few thousand red wigglers.

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

That is what I planted in one pot tonight. The rosemary and parsley wintered over in the West Wing, the thyme and sage are new purchases. Another pot now holds the Early Girl tomato and about two dozen onion sets. I'm experimenting with growing green onions for salad in a container. We'll see how that works out.

Last Sunday my SO helped me (once again!) with the garden, digging up the sod where the paths around the veggie beds are to be. I cleaned out the shed and sifted compost and moved mulch, and I'm sure I did some other things because I was very tired by the end of the day. The peas and onions (the ones in the ground) and mesclun is up. We came close to having a frost the other night, but these are all cold hardy. I was not so sure about the impatiens in the flower box on the front porch, but they look okay.

And nothing phases the chives.

They Like Me! They Really Like Me!

Yesterday I stopped at the pet food store and came out not only with dog and rabbit vittles but also bird seed and several new feeders. Usually, I try to wait until xmas to feed the birds, but baby, it's cold outside!

The old thistle feeder kept losing its perches, so I decided to try one of these socks.



And I put the oil sunflower seeds in the mesh feeder on the left, to see if it discourages squirrel raids.



The feeder on the right has cracked corn. I also hung some suet blocks near the bluebird house that housed no bluebirds this summer.

This morning my SO and I were reading the Sunday paper in the new room when, lo and behold, we had birds! Not only a pair of cardinals and a couple of sparrows and some juncos, but bluebirds! They were checking out the bluebird house. I think bluebirds migrate south in the winter, so I'm guessing these were either looking for temporary shelter or were planning ahead for next year.

Later I also saw Mr. Squirrel checking out the new buffet. I plan to grease the poles with Vaseline, to discourage him and his buddies.

So, one of my goals for the new room has been realized: wildlife viewing.

The temps at night have been down in the teens, so I was surprised to find some of my herbs were still green. A few days ago, I dug up this two-foot-tall rosemary.



It's too tall for my plant shelves, so it is gracing the coffee table in the new room.

Yesterday, since I was outside anyway, I dug up a clump of chives and a bit of Hot and Spicy oregano.



They aren't in very good shape, but I am hoping they will come around. They fit on the plant shelves.



So, another of my goals for the new room is being achieved: winter herbs.

The heat, though, is still an ongoing problem. Friday I called the heating contractor that installed my furnace and AC. After describing the whole situation to them, they did not think the dampers would help (or hurt), but they recommended a separate convection heater for the new room.

While looking up their phone number, I saw an ad in the Yellow Pages for a company that (among other things) installs radiant heat. The idea of warm floors really appeals to me. I talked them into giving me a ballpark estimate over the phone: $1600 to $1800. Hmmm. And I would still need to cool the room. I asked them about "mini-splits," small heat pumps for room additions, but that is even more expensive.

In the meantime, I fired up this baby:



If I am out there in the morning or on a cloudy day, I can add a little heat. On a sunny afternoon, like I am anticipating today, the room should be comfy without it.

The sub-contractor is installing the dampers Monday afternoon. I will let them give it a try, but I don't have my hopes up.

Fresh Parsley

One idea for my new room is to grow fresh herbs out there over the winter. There were some in the garden I planned to dig up, but I didn't get a round tuit, except for the parsley.



I'd like to include some basils as well, but I think I will start them from seed.

Friday I got the flooring bill straightened out. No word from the electrician about the light kit installation.