MAKING THE MOST OF A MILD WINTER

Personally, I was able to cut in a new rose garden plot, remove the sod, take out some of the soil, add horse manure and alfalfa and spade into the designated area. This was done shortly before and thru the holidays. Yeah, I know we had a few single digit days, but it didn't put much frost into the ground and it didn't take long for it to leave once the temperatures warmed back up. This time of year I'm usually held prisoner by the frigid weather with my nose pushed against the window longing to get out there and dig!

I had originally planned on doing all this around Thanksgiving but then one thing led to another and then I was laid low with an illness for a few weeks and then we had that one heavy snow storm, so I didn't get started on this project as soon as I had hoped. Thanks to El Nino so far, we're having a mild winter and so if there is anything that needs to be done in the garden, this is a wonderful time to do it. I'm a great believer in working outdoors in cold weather when there is physical labor to be done. It doesn't take long to get the body furnace up to normal operating temperatures when you're on the handle end of a shovel.

So lets see, I was able to cut in a new garden and add the valuable nutrients of manure and alfalfa. Now its ready to sit for awhile and start the decomposition process for the rest of the winter months. I chopped out a stump and cut it off below ground, back filled and resodded from the grass from the new garden. I was able to expand one of Sue's perennial gardens and get some organic matter added there also. Not too bad considering that we usually don't get to do much gardening at this time of year.

My point is this. If there is something that needs to be done in your garden or you're thinking of a little expansion project, don't let a little cool weather slow you down. Considering all those rose catalogues that are starting to show up in the mail, you might want to think about making some extra garden space for some of those new roses you're going to want. Add to that, the fact that you'll be working off more than a few calories, its a great proposition.

By the time you read this, all this great weather will have probably dissipated into a plunging thermometer and more than a few inches of snow. So I hope you were all able to take advantage of the great weather we were afforded at the end of 1997, to do some last minute chores in your garden. If not, think about it next year if we are lucky enough to have another great winter. Working in the garden is always an elixir that never seems to stop amazing me. What can I say, I like to play in the dirt. Best wishes for a happy new year.