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Comment by Joan Denoo on January 28, 2013 at 10:31pm

Snow again today and yesterday. Thawed last night creating sheets of ice everywhere when the sun set. This morning, snow on top of ice. 

Comment by Sentient Biped on January 28, 2013 at 9:20pm

Annie,

Thank you for your comments!  Please post updates!  That's an impressive garden.

Comment by Randall Smith on January 28, 2013 at 7:43am

To Annie: I've noticed Florida's weather has been great this "winter". I'm envious of you being able to work in the garden already. It's a two and a half wait for me. Ugh.
To Daniel: I hear you. All I've done this winter is prune fruit trees--a job I hate more than window washing!

Comment by Chris Breman on January 28, 2013 at 1:07am

Thawing has started here and it's raining! Countdown till start of gardening... about 30.

Comment by Annie Thomas on January 27, 2013 at 4:26pm

Sentient- I wish you could have snapped your fingers and come to sunny Florida today.  My husband and I did more tilling and sunk eight of the eleven posts for our new vegetable garden fence. We would have loved some help! It was high 70s and partially overcast... perfect weather for heavy labor.

I also want to thank you and the fellow posters here.  I have had raised vegetable beds for several years now, but all of your wonderful photos have really inspired me to take the plunge and do a proper garden plot.  I will have 384 SF in the garden, much larger than I've had in the past, but small enough to be manageable.

Comment by Sentient Biped on January 27, 2013 at 3:19pm

Winter can't end soon enough!  I'm going stir crazy!  Time to get out and plant and dig and weed and prune and graft!  

The ancients should have made a holiday for late January or February.  

I think the Chinese had it right, basing the New Year on the Lunar cycle and making that the major holiday!

Briefly from wikipedia, traditional for every family to thoroughly cleanse the house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity." On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

Plus it's a 15-day holiday.  This year the lunar new year starts on Feb 10th.

Not too far away.  Something to look forward to.  Meanwhile, I can do some winter pruning and hardscaping (construction of raised beds) and soil hauling.

Comment by Chris Breman on January 27, 2013 at 2:25am

A good read, thanks, Sentient!

Comment by Sentient Biped on January 26, 2013 at 3:31pm

Interesting article about the history of figs in the Southeast.  One of my varieties was Thomas Jefferson's favorite.  Figs do well in much of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North Florida, Texas, California, western Washingon, western Oregon, etc.  There is no comparison between dried and fresh, and no comparison between store bought and fresh.  

This pic is from last summer.  Figs are my favorite fruit.  This winter I'm starting more varieties from cuttings, which is easy to do.  If all of the cuttings grow, I won't know what to do with the trees.  Something else for winter gardening.   I'm in zone 8, they do great here.  

Comment by Randall Smith on January 23, 2013 at 8:00am

To Annie regarding "tips on growing corn". Pretty simple: dig furrow, plant seeds, cover, be patient! Oh yes, and deal with raccoons!

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 19, 2013 at 5:27pm

Thanks Sentient Biped, I like this site:

Mushrooms: Your Garden’s Best Friend

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