Foliage and stuff.

It's 63 degrees at 10am. There will be no rain at least for the next week. This morning I found two squirrels digging in my potager where I had planted squash and bean seeds yesterday. One has no hair on its tail. The owls were after it yesterday evening. I'm hoping they achieve their goal soon.

The foliage tour begins in the basement. I stuck cuttings of my red camellia, black & blue salvia, Mystic Spires salvia, Russian sage, and White Profusion Butterfly bush. It's probably too early for the camellias, but the growth on the others were nice and firm. If I'm successful with the japonicas, I'll be taking another walk through the neighborhood early one morning next week.



Artemesia.



Hosta



This variegated weigela was rooted last spring. I plan to root several more very soon. I love the foliage. The white flowers are just an added bonus.



Wine & Roses weigela is more wine than roses at the moment.



Larkspur, Dame's Rocket, and a yellow climbing rose named Golden Showers at the perennial bed arbor.



Golden Jubilee, red clover, Bloody Dock, irises, and lots of weeds.



Proving that plants are forgiving things, the oakleaf hydrangea looks the best it ever has. I took a cutting yesterday. It may be too early. This one has buds at the ends of the two main stalks.



Eastern Redbud loves you too.



Ginkgo. Grown from seed, these were tossed late last spring when I figured there would be no germination. I noticed I missed another when I dug them out this winter and moved them before they leafed out. All three are doing well. The bright yellow foliage will be welcomed in the gully over the next 20 years as they mature. I'm learning patience.



Virginia creeper has latched onto the dead oak tree. It's over now.



While scouting for plants to pinch, I found this little gem. The first rudbeckia bloom of the year. R. triloba.



I saved the best for last. My favorite foliage of all comes in the form of gigantic trees that ring the backyard. The undergrowth has filled in. To compensate for the lack of foliage in winter, I've spread evergreens along the edge. Leyland Cypress, arborvitae, and soon, Foster Holly will provide enclosure and privacy in the years to come. I made a promise to one Leyland yesterday. No more moving. Maybe.

Three weeks later - roots on a fig.

Stuck in the cloner on January 27. I noticed the first ones two days ago. This is a Black Mission from Carla's former house.



I believe I'll be using this method once the pineapple sage either rots or roots. I'm not having a lot of luck with the cuttings I took last week.

Day Four

This is the fourth day of an eight day work week for me. With three under my belt, I'm itching to get my hands dirty. This morning, I'm hoping to sow some seeds of cool weather plants. I'm thinking cabbage and snow peas. They'll go into the hoophouse. I need to change the batteries and check on my wintersown containers. I'm not expecting any sprouts yet, but who knows. At the end of the driveway, they're still frozen solid. It's 19 degrees.

The kitchen is calling to me as well. With warmer weather in the forecast for the next 10 days, I'm likely to spend most of my free time in the yard. The plan was to have the kitchen finished before it warmed up. Cold weather zaps my energy, so that hasn't happened. But it is on the list.

I need to clean and restock the cloner, too. I just filled my second cup of coffee. The wood heater is coming back to life. My pajamas are nice and warm. 58 is the forecasted high today. We'll see.

10:49am - Coppenhagen Early Cabbage, Pak Choy, Italian carrots, and Sugar Daddy snow peas have been sown. I'll put them in the hoophouse before work. I'll need to get dressed first.

The cloner has been cleaned. I discarded a couple of yellow/orange brug cuttings that were mushy. I also tossed out a couple of Carla's roses. They were turning brown. Others have calluses so I should get a few of these very fragrant pink roses. The lantana still hasn't rooted, but cotoneaster and a couple of brugs did. They were potted into quart sized containers. I need more dirt.

I've also started on the kitchen again. More on that later. A little at a time.

11:23am - It's 43 degrees. The hoophouse is very warm inside. The batteries have been replaced, just waiting on an update from the wireless thermometer, but I would guess somewhere in the upper 50s. No sprouts yet. Hopefully next week. It's very moist inside.

11:53am - Assessing the damage.

The first daffodil has popped. This one is along the edge of the butterfly slope near the orchard.



Nice fat buds on the Belle of Georgia peach. The Morris Plum and Thundercloud seem to have come through the cold nicely too. Not so sure about the cherry tree.



The brown turkey fig has some issues. About 18" on each of the three branches has turned soft. I was planning to prune it hard anyway. I would have liked to have made cuttings from the tips.



Under the kitchen porch stairs, the container of black mission fig cuttings is still frozen solid. I'm okay with that. Hope they stay that way a while longer.



Knockout roses by the front walk have buds. I bet them open next week, with lots of freeze damage.



My oldest gardenia cuttings from Sharon's bush is still green. That's a good sign.



Husker's Red penstemon has survived in a tiny quart sized container at the end of the driveway. Several sprouted in the fall. They're tough little buggers.



Cornus mas is no mas.



Surprisingly, the Oak Leaf Hydrangea still holds on to its leaves. This one has been through some trials and tribulations with me.



It's 43 degrees. No jacket required. A beautiful day. Still no word from the hoophouse. I must have installed dead batteries.

Back to my roots

In the basement, the plants in the cloner don't know that it's the dead of winter. The brug cuttings, lantana, and even a couple of Carla's roses are pushing out new root growth.



One lantana is about to bloom.



Something funky came back with the roses from Carla's former house. I've treated the entire cloner with Spectracide to kill whatever it is. Another day and I will need to clean it out, resticking the cuttings that haven't rooted and potting up those that have.



The willow and redtwig dogwood are showing actual roots too.



Outside, it's sunny and 21 degrees. The hoophouse stands at 29. The 10 day forecast is nearly unbelievable after the past two weeks. My wintersown containers will be sprouting green in two weeks if this holds true. By mid February, the green tide will be rolling across the yard. Daffodils might even break the surface.



More firewood to haul into the basement today. Work this evening. The lull appears to be wearing thin.

5:17pm - Been at work for 4 hours. Having "lunch". It's 45 degrees. The hoophouse is at 53. Can't wait for Friday.

A Broken Record.

Remember when music came on large round sheets of vinyl? Remember when one of those black discs got a scratch and repeated the same couple seconds of music over and over? That's what the 10 day forecast reminds me of. More of the same, over and over. Somebody bump the jukebox, please.



In the basement, the cloner cuttings have responded well to fresh water.





The Confederate Rose cuttings taken from Carla's neighbor's yard are leafing out, finally. I wasn't sure they would make it. Seems they might actually be rooting after all.



It's 25 degrees and clear. The hoophouse dropped to 27 overnight. The sun has finally topped the trees out back. We're up to 28 already. I'm thinking I need to hit the thrift stores this week looking for a couple of old quilts. A little extra nighttime protection wouldn't hurt. I might even install some Christmas lights. I bet the neighbors will love that, a big green glowing tunnel in the backyard.

More firewood will be split before work today. At 6pm, it was 69 degrees upstairs with no electric heat being used. It's currently 64.

12:06pm - It's 39 degrees and windy, again. The hoophouse is at 77 and still rising. By 2pm, a little shade will fall across the surface causing the temperature to reverse and fall.

Progress in the cloner

Last night, I cleaned the cloner. All the cuttings were removed and set aside. The white top allows me to see when it's time to clean. Small areas of green algae and black mold-like spots were visible. The humid environment is ripe for the growth of mold and algae.



One of the rose cuttings has developed nice firm roots. Unfortunately, they were growing through the foam material I use to hold them in place. One snapped off while gently trying to remove it. Along with all the others, it was placed back into the cloner to grow more roots.



Two other cuttings have developed large calluses, but no visible roots. If the wood heater wasn't in use, I'd pot them up now and use a plastic bag to keep them moist. I'd rather leave them in the cloner for now to see if they will actually root. I've gotten to this stage with roses many times only to have them start to rot from above.



Christmas Day, I snipped the pods from Gomphocarpus. I've rooted a single cutting in the cloner, so I figured I had little to lose. After drying, the seeds are smaller than most milkweeds. I'm not sure if this is normal or if the seeds are not viable. I might do a paper towel test soon.



This morning, I've got to cut and split more firewood. I have three pieces left in the basement. It's currently 30 degrees and clear. The high today should reach the mid 40s. I'm going to need a lot more wood.

Regarding the cloner.

It's been nearly a year since I built my homemade cloner. I've learned a few things. Green, new growth from almost any plant will root in a matter of weeks. Hardwood cuttings fail. Always.

The last time I cleaned the cloner, I nearly filled it up with late fall cuttings of buddleia, knockout roses, salvias, and lantana. A few cuttings turned brown and died, probably due to lack of sterility than the method overall. Many more rooted and have been potted up into small containers destined to spend the winter under lights in the basement. The lantana previously known as Miss Huff has done the best. It's actively growing under lights. Cotoneaster and buddleia are just sitting there. If they survive til spring, they should become strong, healthy plants with a little care in hardening them off.

I've still got a few things that need to be potted, mostly lantana taken just before the hard, killing frost.



As a test for rooting roses, I took several Knockout rose cuttings. I don't plan to keep these cuttings as I don't need more of these plants. I just wanted to see if the cloner would help to root them. I seem to lose more rose cuttings than anything else using soil. Again, the sterility of the medium is my biggest obstacle. The knockouts have formed large calluses. No roots are visible yet. I'll give them another week to impress me.



Overall, I've been fairly successful with this contraption. In a few weeks, I'll trim the tender new growth from the overwintering brugmansias. It roots in only two weeks in the cloner. I'm also going to try Confederate Rose. The cuttings I rooted in water have been potted up for a few weeks. They've put out some firm growth, but are getting too large under the lights. Pruning them back will keep them in check for the next 3 months.

But before that, I'll need to sterilize everything again. I use a 1:10 bleach solution. The rollers soak overnight in the same mixture. The foam often has algae in the cells after a successful cutting is done. I wish I had a closed cell foam to use for the holders. Maybe I'll take another trip to the dollar store this weekend.

It's currently 27 degrees with a heavy frost covering the yard. The forecast calls for a high of 54. It's 66 degrees in the basement and rising slowly. When I went to bed, it was 81. Upstairs, it was 68 with no electric heat. I'm pleased.

12:02pm - 46 degrees and sunny. It doesn't feel that warm out, even in the sun. There's a definite chill in the air. I've got an hour before I leave for work. I've sorted and printed my wintersowing labels for the first round. I have 116 varieties I'm planning to sow next week. I need 20 more two-liter containers prepared by then.

Another foggy day

Day 3 of feeling like I'm living in Stephen King's "The Mist". Hopefully it will rain this afternoon. This humidity is really getting on my last nerve. Where's the sun?



Inside, where I'll stay until I leave for work, new roots are appearing in the cloner. Knockout Roses are being tested. A couple have developed decent calluses. Others have done nothing. I've tried straight cuts above a node, just below a node, with and without rooting hormone, and nicking the skin to expose the white underbelly. Those with rooting hormone just below a node are the ones forming calluses. If they root, I'll start thinking about taking more rose cuttings from my other plants this spring.



A little color can be found in the dining room. Extra ornaments and a piece of pottery I've owned since 2003 sit in the center of my tiny table. Rosemary cuttings fill the air with the fragrance of Christmas.



It's 50 degrees and foggy. It was 45 when I went to bed last night.

I turn my back for one day...

I kept telling myself to water the basement plants yesterday. I thought about it almost every time I walked down the stairs. It was so nice I ignored the nagging voice in my head and spent the day outside. They'll spring back. I hope.



In the cloner, there are lots of plants that need potting. Maybe I'll get to it today. Maybe tomorrow.



It's 43 degrees, the high for today. The wind has died down. Tonight, we'll drop to the mid 20s. The chance of wintry precipitation forecast for Saturday is gone. As soon as the sun tops the trees out back, it'll be sunny and cool.

Only 100 days til spring. Or 2410 hours. That's like two weeks.

More rain, roots, and wood.

It's a dark, dreary morning. There's a steady slow rain falling. It's 43 degrees.



In the cloner, one of the Honeycomb buddleia cuttings is ready to pot. A second one should be ready by Tuesday.



The snow forecast earlier in the week will not become reality. When the temperature finally falls into the proper range this evening, the rain should be gone. Tonight, the low will drop to the mid 20s, our coldest night yet. I'll spend a few minutes today chopping more kindling that I use to keep the basement heater going. The firewood I've split and collected is still wet inside. The kindling keeps the heat on until the moisture is boiled away.

The Dove did not return

As previously stated, it rained yesterday. This morning, the sun is out and the waters (in the basement and in the yard) have receded. The ground is like a sponge. Hopefully warmer temperatures and some sunlight will dry things out a bit. I've got some leaves I'd like to mulch today, but it might not be possible. The rain gauge collected 1.5" of rain. The local forecast says we got .87". Since it was coming in sideways half the evening, I'm thinking we got more, but the instruments were unable to measure it.

Yesterday, I noticed the first roots growing on the Honeycomb buddleia. I took a photo this morning to compare, 24 hours later.



versus yesterday at 8:30am.



It's just plain water in the cloner. More roots appeared on other cuttings overnight. Some cuttings were potted yesterday so the pictures aren't exactly the same. I've got a couple more that need to be transplanted into containers today. There's also the matter of firewood that I have to address, assuming I can even get into the gully this morning.

It's 50 degrees and sunny. Today's high should reach 63. Snow is still in the forecast for Saturday evening.

Flash floods, roots, and snow?

Last night, the National Weather Service issued flash flood watches for most of NC. They'll be in effect until the last band of storms pass through around 9pm this evening. It was supposed to rain all day today, but it appears the first storms didn't form until they were well north of us. Virginia is getting hammered right now. It's misting rain here.

While checking the weather last night, I noticed something odd.



Snow. Yep. If it happens, it'll be the earliest snowfall I can remember in 36 years. Last year, we had an early January snowfall that got all the meteorologists in a tizzy around here. It's too early! they all screamed. Global warming! they said. Weather patterns are changing for sure. Anyone that reads the Farmer's Almanac already knew that snow was being forecast for us in early December. We'll see if it holds true. Today's high should reach the mid 60s.

My to-do list today is short. My back, better yesterday, is bothering me a little this morning. I've got some things that need to be potted in the cloner. The first roots have appeared overnight on the Honeycomb buddleia cuttings. I'm very happy about that. More should appear over the next week. Lavender, cotoneaster, and other buddleia are ready to be potted and placed under lights.



In water for more than a month, the Confederate Rose is rooting nicely too. Top growth has been dramatic over the past week. The wood heater warms the basement to the mid 80s when the fire is really roaring. I'm sure that has something to do with it.



I've also got a few seed packs to sort and label. I need to take a quick trip to the Post Office. And there's coffee to drink. Lots of coffee. It's cloudy and 43 degrees.