La Marne in December

Weekend at the Farm December 9 - 10, 2016

 One sad, brave zinnia blooming in 40 degree weather.

John Glenn died yesterday, he was a true hero.  We revere movie stars like they've done something important.  But John Glenn was the real deal. 
I took Friday off and arrived Thursday evening at the farm, Bert was already here.  Went home on Saturday afternoon to join the family at Lights in the Heights at Josh's and Amy's house.

• Cold!  In the low 40s and high 30s.  The sun came out on Friday and the day was beautiful.
• My daffodils are about halfway finished peeking out of the earth.  I'm a spring / summer / fall person (never been that person that loved the cold weather), but I love this part about winter - the new beginning of the never-ending cycle of growth, dormancy and re-growth. 
• I spent a few hours on Friday morning planting 200 Sweetness daffodils in the Daffodil Border.
• Right when I was finishing who should show up but the Revenuer.  He wanted to take a look around the property, no doubt our taxes will spike - again!
• Turned the compost piles and separated them into two piles that are partially composted and one pile to put our scraps, greens, and browns.
• I dug out as much of the Hojo Santo as I could from the bed that leads to the Rose Garden.  I planted two white Baleria (Philippine Violets).  I threw the huge leaves in the compost.  Hojo Santo makes great compost - huge leaves.
• I pulled up the dead Mexican Torch Sunflowers in the Vegetable Garden.  I pulled off all the seed heads and threw them in the compost outside the Vegetable Garden, in the Hot Border, and in the Star Garden.
• After lunch I went back outside and planted the remaining 175 Sweetness daffodil bulbs in the Daffodil Border.  I'm so excited to see my efforts when spring gets here! 
• Saturday.  I raked pine needles and loaded the cub with a huge pile of them.  I drove down to the Orchard and weeded the small blackberry patch at the very back.  I mulched the area really heavily.  With the remaining pine straw I weeded a section of bed where the grape arbor is and mulched it.
• Raked the whole Orchard, not many leaves get in because of the fence, it's mostly the leaves from the fruit trees.
• I planted my three orange clumping Baleria and the two purple ones I bought last week.  I planted them in another bed along the path that leads to the Rose Garden.  Both of those beds really didn't have much growing in them.  They used to have a big colony of Penstemon growing in them, but over time it sort of disappeared.  It was pretty when it was blooming, but when it wasn't blooming in the spring it just looked kind of weedy, maybe that's what all perennials look like when they aren't blooming, but Penstemon particularly so.
• I mulched both beds.
• Watered my collards and mustard greens growing in the Star Garden. 

Sunday December 4, 2016

The family, with the exception of Blake and Mr. H who are busy with newborn Charlie, went to BCN to celebrate Amy's PhD on Saturday night.  Bert and I went to Burton on Sunday morning.  I drove in to work on Monday morning.

• It rained all day on Sunday, and it was grey and cold.  I mostly alternated between cooking and laying on the couch watching reruns of Nurse Jackie on my Ipad. 
• But I did plant about 125 Sweetness daffodil bulbs in the Daffodil Border.  It was raining pretty steadily, so I didn't press on even though I have 375 left to plant.
• I moved about half a dozen plugs of Homestead Purple Verbena from paths into several beds in the Rose Garden.  It will be a sea of purple in the Rose Garden this spring if disaster doesn't strike (and I don't expect it to).
• I cut down a bunch of my gingers in the Star Garden because my paper whites are coming up.  
• As soon as I have some time - a full weekend - I am planning to dig up all the Hojo Santo in the bed that borders the path to the rose Garden.  I have several white Philippine Violets to plant there.  The Hojo Santo spreads at an alarming rate, so my focus this winter and next spring is to eradicate it in  that area. 
• The leaves are about halfway finished dropping.  This winter I am piling them up in the unfinished area in the Star Garden that is adjacent to the driveway.  They will keep the weeds down in there, but will not deter the Philippine Lilies that have taken up residence in that area.