Winter Wonderland

Isn't the snow beautiful in Uptown OKC? Well. Not exactly, because it isn't really snow. It's all just sleet. Someday we may get some snow, but not in this bout.










We have been poured on by the "Great Ice Storm of '07". At least that's what all the TV stations have been calling it. I promise they have been in hog heaven. Actually, I think it just proves that God has a sense of humor. It is all so pretty but it makes a rotten snowman.

Well, I realized that I still haven't posted the gardening chores for January. I blame the Christmas season, when it lasts longer than the carols in the department stores, it tends to take everything else out of your mind. So here it is:


January
If precipitation has been deficient (1" of snow = ~ 1/10" of
water), water lawns, trees, and shrubs, especially
broadleaf and narrowleaf evergreens. Double check
moisture in protected or raised planters.
Check on supplies of pesticides. Secure a copy of current
recommendations and post them in a convenient place.
Dilution and quantity tables are also useful.
If you did not treat young pines for tip borers in November,
do so before March.
Check that gardening tools and equipment are in good
repair, sharpen, paint, and repair mowers, edgers, sprayers,
and dusters.
Inspect your irrigation system and replace worn or broken
parts.
Control overwintering insects on deciduous trees or shrubs
with dormant oil sprays applied when the temperature is
above 40o F in late fall and winter. Do not use dormant
oils on evergreens.
A product containing glyphosate plus a postemergent
broadleaf herbicide can be used on dormant bermuda in
January or February when temperatures are above 50o F
for winter weed control.

You'll notice that most of the things have to do with pesticides. My apologies to my "green" friends, but there are people out there that use the stuff and if they're going to use it at least I want them to use it right. Remember, with pesticides of all kinds, less is more and just because a tablespoon works doesn't mean two tablespoons will work better! Actually, I would be more than happy if the whole world went to Integrated Pest Management, but I don't really see that happening. I did a report a few years back and according to the EPA the use of pesticide and fertilizer on residencial areas is about 50 times that of agricultural. Now come on people. Your yard is stopping world hunger, its just feeding the grasshoppers. And there isn't any bug killer out there that will kill a grasshopper after it's second shed.

Anyway, not to be a complete downer. Here is ..... TaTaTaTaTaDaaaaaa... What's in bloom. Yes, I know it's January, yes I know that there is several inches of ice on the ground (actually I took this picture before the ice, but the flowers are still on there, they aren't happy, but they're there.
This is the flower of the winter jasmine. It is deciduous, although as you can see, the stems are a dark green that fools the eye from a distance. On warm humid days (not a whole lot of those in January) you can smell it's true jasmine fragrance from quite a distance. Plus it is blooming in January, not too shabby. There is one at Myriad gardens that is about six or seven feet tall and wide, arching over and covered in blooms, well, it was before the ice. Now, who knows.

And for those of you who thought I was crazy for babying along a red twig dogwood through the Oklahoma summer.
This is our dogwood against the ice. Of course, we only have a few days a year that we have this kind of background for it. And you can't see it from the inside because we have insulating plastic on the windows. And you can't enjoy it from the outside because it is bloody cold out there. Ok, so maybe I am crazy. I still think it is pretty.

Well, that about does it for me. Kathy wants to go to Mustang and see Maddox. So I guess I'm going to go clean the car off so I can see to drive.

Stay warm, stay happy stay loved. Wayne