Gardening, Puttering and Community Thread, March 8

The gorgeous photo above is from Neal in Israel:

The first clivia I planted last year made it through the winter and has already decided to start spring blooming. The second was almost killed by the snails, but has survived in a reduced state. Hope it will revive fully and will also flower.

The flowers above are gorgeous. Then again, Clivia is one of my favorites. Hope you can successfully combat the snails attacking your new plant.

Anybody else have flowers blooming now, just as Daylight Savings Time starts here in the USA for most of us? Are you ready? I haven't thought about it yet.

Why, look! What do we have here?

Signs of spring in Pennsylvania
These photos date back to February 24. We had quite a bit of snow and cold weather in southwestern Pennsylvania this winter. In some years, we get warmer weather in February, but this year was cold and snowy. Last week I took a walk across the stream at our cottage to look for skunk cabbage flowers. Skunk cabbage grows in moist areas, and it blooms in February around here. It can actually bloom in the snow, but on this day most of the snow had melted. I look for these unusual flowers every February. Enjoy!
Ladyhobbit

What a great winter activity to remind you that spring is coming.

More interesting early flowers

Hi Katy -
It's still chilly here in Virginia, but the Hellebores seem to like the cold weather and lots of colors are in full bloom.
The Pilot

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

From Neal in Israel:

Our clementine is a late ripening variety. I picked the tree clean and closed the harvest season only 3-4 weeks ago. The tree is hardy and gave a good yield, despite some quirky weather during the period in which the fruit was setting.

These fruits look spectacular!

Puttering

From Vogue: The Danish Home Lighting Trend That Can Improve Your Mental Health

It’s little wonder that lighting is such an important concern when sunlight is elusive for so much of the year. Even in the apartments of students on tight budgets, you’ll find Danish design lamps that emit a soft, diffused light that’s more yellow than white. “The Danes select lamps carefully and place them strategically to create relaxing pools of light,” Wiking adds. “Lighting design here is an art form, a science, and an industry.”
Hygge light is warm, comfortable, and similar to that emitted by candles (a staple of hygge interiors). The golden rule to creating this sort of lighting is easy to remember: The lower the temperature of the light (as measured on the Kelvin scale), the better; or, to put it differently, the more hygge it is. Wiking says the optimal point is around 1800K, a light similar to that of a sunset or flames from a wood fire (in comparison, a fluorescent light is usually 5000K).

I guess they want to relax in winter. How does that compare with other light therapies? I thought the goal was typically a more balanced light in winter.

Plant lights are often closer to sunlight. But different plants have different light requirements.

Nurturing Community Gardens

As mentioned in the thread below, I was at my mother's funeral last week. It was a positive experience for many people, because many people, including my mother, had put a lot of planning and work into it before it happened. And we were blessed with lovely weather as well. It helped to have a lot of competent people around.

"Community" in the non-governmental sense means something when you see the children of people your mother knew at her funeral, even if you don't know those children. Along with the girl you played with when you were both four years old.

I thought about my mother and gardening. She grew up on a farm and didn't want to be a farmer, but she loved to garden. And the snow crocus in her lawn (I sent some of the bulbs decades ago and her grandchildren planted them) started blooming on her funeral day. People cooperated in getting those crocuses to bloom every year.

And there were lovely flowers from many people, including my best friend, her sister and their husbands.

Many of the people who sent flowers are same people who help keep a community viable, and allow other people to have their own gardens. God bless them.

Gardens of The Horde

Just before tearing down the old fence, I saw the moss blossoms and took the photo. I thought they looked intriguing.
Diogenes

Fascinating. Are some of them lichens?

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, March 1

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:12 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Moss...Lichens...creepy fungus. I think the old fence had it all.

Posted by: Diogenes at March 08, 2025 01:18 PM (W/lyH)

2 We bought some chickens in October, and they started laying eggs this week. My youngest is so excited, and I thank the Lord for this experience for her.

Posted by: Cray Cray at March 08, 2025 01:21 PM (I6KtV)

3 The biology of lichens is interesting.

Posted by: KT at March 08, 2025 01:21 PM (xekrU)

4 Ladyhobbit's search for skunk cabbages poking their heads through the snow reminds me of some of the things I did as a kid - looking for wild things that might be edible.

Glad I didn't poison myself.

Posted by: KT at March 08, 2025 01:23 PM (xekrU)

5 My Indian plum (Oemeria cerasiformis) is blooming, it is the first native plant that blooms each year. The violets and snowdrops are also blooming, and the neighbor's crocuses an my daffodils are starting to bloom.

My early yellow plum is about to blossom, and I have hopes that a couple of other yellow plum grafts I have tried may actually take.
The smallest seedling apples that I have had in pots for a year are putting out their first leaves, but the other older trees are still waiting on the weather.
The Asian pear and my Bartlett are stretching their buds too, but they haven't popped yet.
I stratified Camas lilies and asian pear seeds this year, and I planted the sprouted seeds this week. Still haven't come up but I have to be patient.
It is a mellow spring so far, but it is not dry enough to till the garden, which is OK since I am not ready to plant either.

Spring is here.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 08, 2025 01:28 PM (D7oie)

6 skunk cabbage are a wee bit thermogenic, and will melt the snow around their bases in the spring.

The NW Indians had a story about skunk cabbage, the only part I remember is that skunk cabbage announced the coming of the salmon in the spring, and because of that he was given a deer skin cloak and a war club so he could watch on the rivers in the future. I believe there was more to the story but that is all I remember

Posted by: Kindltot at March 08, 2025 01:30 PM (D7oie)

7 Good afternoon Greenthumbs
Only thing outside I need to is is collect leaves. Been out there all winter guess could wait for a slightly warmer day.

Posted by: Skip at March 08, 2025 01:32 PM (fwDg9)

8 Our Daffys are up a few inches at least.

Posted by: Skip at March 08, 2025 01:33 PM (fwDg9)

9 While in the Austin area on business, I passed by a nursery on Fitzhugh Rd. that specializes in carnivorous plants: Carnivero Nursery. Sadly, I didn't have time to stop in, but that sounds soooo Austin.

Posted by: Brewingfrog at March 08, 2025 01:34 PM (wyRlo)

10 Tomatoes and peppers have just sprouted (indoors)

Peas & lettuce (outdoors)... not yet.

Posted by: JQ at March 08, 2025 01:39 PM (rdVOm)

11 Lighting design here is an art form, a science, and an industry

Like festive little hats.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle for festive little hats at March 08, 2025 01:48 PM (Fk1uW)

12 I went a little (okay, a lot) nuts buying bulbs this year - I had just gotten my cancer diagnosis, and decided to fill the garden with lots and lots of color.

We just started using a lawn service, and we paid them to plant all of the bulbs for me. They are starting to peek out of the ground now. Can't wait to see what it all looks like!

Some of the hyacinths have even started blooming.

Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, Plucky Comic Relief, AoS Ladies Brigade - Eat the Cheesecake, Buy the Yarn. at March 08, 2025 01:49 PM (SRRAx)

13 The grey branched structures, in the fence photo, are "oakmoss," which is a lichen.

Posted by: J at March 08, 2025 01:53 PM (TZWdq)

14 We got rid of the latest round of snow but have had high winds. I did put together one bed and will start building more over the next few days. I will likely need more potting soil but have enough to get going. I have to keep reminding myself that this needs to be small. I haven't checked the potted plants yet.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at March 08, 2025 01:53 PM (7PR43)

15 Hygge light is nice. I use soft white (2700K) in most fixtures. A mix of 2700K and 3000K in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchen. It gives the option of slightly warmer, brighter light for those rooms.

One thing I dislike about LEDs is that most do not dim properly. Ignoring flicker or ones that don’t dim at all, the norm for dimming bulbs is to simply reduce the intensity of the light output, but not the color.

With incandescents, when you dim the bulbs the color becomes softer, until it’s nearly reddish. It allows you to get a pleasing “mood lighting”, which is something most LEDs don’t provide.

Thanks for the gardening/puttering thread, KT! I always read but I don’t really garden so I don’t have much to say.

Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at March 08, 2025 01:54 PM (l3YAf)

16 >>> 2 We bought some chickens in October, and they started laying eggs this week. My youngest is so excited, and I thank the Lord for this experience for her.
Posted by: Cray Cray at March 08, 2025 01:21 PM (I6KtV)

Awesome!

Do you let them run outside during the day at all? The small people may be amused by the variety of things the birdbrains eat (although you'd need to fence off the garden).

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at March 08, 2025 01:55 PM (Vqx30)

17 Thanks for the thoughts about your mother’s funeral, KT. Sounds like she was a wonderful influence for you and others. I loved the flower bouquets as well. It’s nice the funeral was well prepared for. May wonderful memories continue to bloom.

I loved all the pictures today. I’m not really a gardener ,but I do note that crocuses are coming up all over our yard and it always makes me feel Spring is on the way, though the “optimistic “ crocuses often get dumped on by another snow before Spring finally arrived. I also try to have nice flowers on our church altar almost every week because people like to see them. And our gardeners bring in things as well.

Posted by: Hair on fire at March 08, 2025 01:58 PM (QM6uW)

18 Just too darn windy today in the Mid-Atlantic. Hopefully I'll get the clematis trimmed down tomorrow. Near 60 and lighter winds expected. The mower started right up today, but I do run it every month. Probably start on the maintenance tomorrow.

Posted by: jsg at March 08, 2025 01:59 PM (UJ+K5)

19 I don't know about "hygge" -- I just use incandescent light bulbs, doesn't everyone?

Posted by: J at March 08, 2025 02:05 PM (TZWdq)

20 Some of the hyacinths have even started blooming.
Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, Plucky Comic Relief, AoS Ladies Brigade - Eat the Cheesecake, Buy the Yarn. at March 08, 2025 01:49 PM (SRRAx)

Nice to hear.

Just watch out if they start asking for money for Sheridan, and inviting people for Candlelight Suppers.

https://tinyurl.com/33m3fux3

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at March 08, 2025 02:06 PM (VNX3d)

21 Heh...skunk cabbage. That brings back memories. It's like a puddle to a toddler. When you see it you have to kick it, and enjoy the aroma.

Posted by: Orson at March 08, 2025 02:13 PM (dIske)

22 A new service just started advertising here that just picks up dog poop in the yard and sanitizes.

Posted by: KT at March 08, 2025 02:34 PM (xekrU)

23 22 A new service just started advertising here that just picks up dog poop in the yard and sanitizes.
Posted by: KT at March 08, 2025 02:34 PM (xekrU)

Sanitizes ?

Poop is fertilizer !

Posted by: jsg at March 08, 2025 02:48 PM (UJ+K5)

24 Do you call them up and the come over to follow you on your walk?

Posted by: Skip at March 08, 2025 02:48 PM (fwDg9)

25 Awesome!

Do you let them run outside during the day at all? The small people may be amused by the variety of things the birdbrains eat (although you'd need to fence off the garden).
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at March 08, 2025 01:55 PM (Vqx30)

-----

Through the day when I'm gone, they are in an open area pen...I have the trench built for an enclosed pen so they can get more leg room, but winter beat me to it.

Posted by: Cray Cray at March 08, 2025 03:10 PM (EES2L)

26 A new service just started advertising here that just picks up dog poop in the yard and sanitizes.
Posted by: KT at March 08, 2025 02:34 PM (xekrU)

Sounds like a service for HOA managers, if there's a bulk discount. Neighborhood discount?

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at March 08, 2025 03:12 PM (VNX3d)

27 From Boise area: lows 32-37 F, highs 50-55. We had high winds on Mon., higher ones Thursday. Various dead branches need to be picked up and thrown on our burn pile.

The 6 fruit trees inside the paddock fence have been pruned - this afternoon is dedicated to the 2 large old apple trees out back. I spent the morning on raking up sycamore leaves.

So far, I've planted indoors: 12 broccolini (13 have sprouted!), 4 tomato 'SunGold' (all sprouted), 12 marigold 'Dwarf Bolero' (3 sprouted so far), 4 poblano pepper 'Trident', 2 orange bell peppers - 4 each of basil, Thai basil, cilantro, thyme, flat parsley, and curled parsley - and 2 each of tomatoes 'Nyagous', 'Brandywine', 'Super Beefsteak', 'Roma', and 'San Marzano'. No room for anything else until some of it can be put in the outdoor mini-greenhouse! I've also set up a batch of fingerling potatoes 'La Ratte' for chitting. I'd like to get russets, and maybe a new variety, soon.

Outdoors, I have about 80 crocus blooming - I only planted 40 bulbs a few years back, so I'm happy with the "return on investment". The huge silver maple is also flowering.

Posted by: Pat* at March 08, 2025 03:22 PM (/10mw)

28 K.T. - I got a little "misty-eyed" reading about your mother. I definitely got the gardening gene from my mom. It's nice to know your mother's love of gardening and planting will continue with the community garden.

Posted by: Pilot at March 08, 2025 04:36 PM (M+4Y9)

29 KT, it sounds like your mother's funeral would have pleased her very much.

I remember seeing one of my Mom-Mom's friends at her funeral. I hadn't seen her in many years.

She lived in the house below Mom-Mom's (the land was very steep as it sloped towards the Schuylkill River). This enabled me to look down into her backyard. She had a stream that ran through it, and the stone edges of the stream were whitewashed. I was transfixed.

When I visited her with my grandmother, she would give me chocolate milk from the dairy next door.

She was a kind lady who warned me not to touch any of the little tempting pretties in her living room because she wouldn't want to see me sad if I broke one.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at March 08, 2025 04:50 PM (w6EFb)

30 I'm sorry for the loss of your mother. What a lovely tribute to her.
The crocuses are lovely.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 08, 2025 04:57 PM (Znw75)

31 I have two little purple hyacinths that just popped back up in my yard. And the yellow jessamine vine is blooming too.

Posted by: Tom Servo at March 08, 2025 09:59 PM (h8QI+)

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