No snow....for now.

We've had temps above 40....clear up to 65 F. for a couple days. Now we're back down to 40's again and going to be dropping.

Lots of wind last night, kept me awake. You know when you're in that half asleep stupor where you worry about all sorts of stupid stuff? Well, last night with all the wind (gusts to 50 mph) I was just sure one of my bird feeders would fly off and crash into the livingroom window. I am happy to report that did not happen. Although they blew around enough that Mr. Squirrel was able to reach it and have a good feed. Here's one of 72 shots I took this morning at a very disgusted Mr. Squirrel after I moved the feeder back out of reach again.


And another where he is holding on with literally one claw....top rear foot. In both photos, it's all a balancing act.


Since it was warmer and there was no snow, I took a look around "The Estate"

Here is the lake in our back yard. It drains fairly fast.


In a similar shot, you see our garage. My veggie garden will be the length of the garage and half the width of the yard at that point.


In my search for something, anything growing, I found Bearded Iris. How do they survive sticking out of the ground like that?


Here is a valiant little old-fashioned Shasta Daisy still showing a little green.


And here is the front half of The Estate.


Everything, including me, is poised and waiting to pounce on that bare brown garden.

Tracy DiSabato-Aust, Live and in Person!

I drove to Cleveland Botanical Gardens today (Cleveland, OH) to go to its annual Sustainability Symposium. It was a fine presentation and well worth anyone going and participating.

I, however, had only one reason for going.

Tracy DiSabato-Aust, my dear friend, mentor and favorite gardening expert/author, was the keynote speaker. Check out Tracy's blog "Tracylive.com". Tracy is not only extremely knowledgeable and an excellent speaker, she is also very dynamic and fun to listen to. She was animated and excited about her craft as always, even though she had just undergone ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery on her left knee last Tuesday and was under strict orders to remain seated during her lecture.



Her visual aids were exceptional, showing many of the plants in her new book, "50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants" in an animated, clear fashion that was easy to follow. Tracy's natural humor and presentation style grabs her audience and holds it from beginning to end. She spoon fed knowledge into us and we weren't even aware of it. As noted photographer and author, Ian Adams (also present) said, "She is a force of nature". He was as enthralled as all the rest of us were. We all were enjoying the show and learning at the same time. Such a pleasure!

Fans greeted her after her lecture.


Then, during the lunch break, Tracy spent over two hours signing her books for her gardening fans. All three of her books were on sale at the CBGarden gift shop.


(Shameless plug, I was extremely honored to get to do the line drawings of pruning and other maintenance techniques in her first book, "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden".)

All three of her books, the two afore-named plus her second book, "The Well-Designed Mixed Garden" are available at Timber Press.

Also on Tracy's website, you can get a sneak preview of each of her books. I encourage you to get these books. They are essential additions to your library and to your gardening work basket for reference as you're out there enjoying digging in the dirt.

While you're at Tracy's website, you can see her calendar. If you have the opportunity to go see and hear her, you won't be disappointed.

One final photo. Tracy and her husband, Jim, her buddy and fellow tri-athlete.

My Seeds Have Arrived!

Yeaaaaay!!! Part of my seed order from Park Seed arrived today.

Snap Pea, Super Sugar Snap
Pepper, Sweet Banana
Cantaloupe, Scoop II Hybrid
Pea, Blondie
Pak Choi, Toy Choi
Cabbage, Sweet Surprise Hybrid
Squash, Sweet Lightning Hybrid
Spinach, Malabar Red Stem
Tomato, Pineapple
Tomato, Chocolate Cherry
Tomato (organic), Cherry Sweetie
Tomato, Brandywine

Now I have to get serious about learning how to set up for
starting plants from seed.