Nineteen...

degrees. The wind is blowing. Today is going to be a cold one. That once in a generation cold snap the National Weather Service was predicting has arrived. The last one occurred in 1977 and lasted nearly two weeks. Over the next 7-14 days, it's possible that the temperature might remain below freezing for extended periods of time. The wood heater will certainly get a workout trying to keep the house moderately warm. Last year, it was 50 degrees by late afternoon on January 3rd. I built an Adirondack chair that night in the basement while recovering from a cold.

Outside, it's 28 degrees in the hoophouse. The other half of my wireless thermometer is sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by all those containers I sowed yesterday. The sun is just starting to top the trees out back. I'm expecting about 60 degrees for the high in there today. Our high will be in the low 30s.



In the basement, three brugmansia seeds have germinated. Originally, I had placed one per 4" pot using Christmas lights for bottom heat. Four of the seeds rotted. Six others survived, so I wrapped them in a damp coffee filter and put them in a plastic bag. They're laying directly over the ballast of one of the lights. I've already transplanted the three sprouting seeds into a single container filled with sterilized soil.



Yesterday, when I came home for lunch, there was a box on the front porch. Someone baked me brownies. She was so happy with the seeds she received in the swap, that she wanted to thank me. They were delicious. Were. Thanks Carol!

Not much planned for today. I'm doing laundry, need to sort a few seeds for someone in Colorado, and will head to work again at 11am. I'm hoping today doesn't last as long as yesterday. It was freezing cold out there when the sun went down.

10:31am - It's 27 degrees and partly sunny. The hoophouse is at 41 degrees. I spent some time this morning potting a few rooted cuttings from the cloner. I potted three Miss Huff lantana, two cotoneaster, a Mystic Spires salvia, and one of the rose knockout cuttings. I still don't know what I intend to do with that thing. I can't sell it. I don't want more of them. It's really just a test to see how to root roses.

I also took cuttings from Miss Sarah's brugmansias. These were bare cuttings she brought to me at the store this fall. She says they are yellow and pink. I have no idea which is which, so I'll just call them Miss Sarah's Brugs. They're in the cloner now.

Heading to work. Still not above freezing. The water hose is in the basement thawing. The water barrel is empty after the marathon sowing session this weekend.

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.

Butterfly bushes, cotoneaster, and lantana

Now that I think about it, that would make a nice combination on the slope next to the front walkway. I potted 10 plants from the cloner this morning.





Not all of them had nice long roots, but they'll be fine. The butterfly bushes have surprised me. The new green growth, sure to be damaged by the coming frost (Friday?), roots quickly. I'll be taking more cuttings on Wednesday before I head to work.

Speaking of work, I've got to be in at 12 today. Before that, I plan to test the new vac/mulch blade I installed on the leaf blower last night. Since I had it apart, I tightened the bolts holding the motor together. They wriggle loose too often.

It's cloudy, dreary, and still soggy at 50 degrees. The high today should be in the 60s with a chance of sun around 3pm for about 2 hours. The clouds will finally move out on Thursday ushering in cooler nighttime temperatures. Weather.com forecasts a low Friday night of 33.

Soggy

It's still raining. Overnight, the rain gauge collected 1.25". The ground, already squishy from Ida's 7 inches, is now soggy. The thermometer stands at 48 degrees.

Some plants just don't know when to quit.



In the cloner, the best rooters this round are butterfly bush and cotoneaster.



The high today should be in the 50s. Rain clearing out overnight but clouds remain through Tuesday night. It's warm and dry inside with a fire roaring in the basement.

3:56pm - I started working on the kitchen after running a couple errands. While out, I picked up two large pieces of Confederate rose from Carla's neighbor. She has several that start out white and turn pink. I chopped them to a foot each and put them in water to root. There's more than a dozen cuttings from those two branches. The purple queen was stuck yesterday. It'll root quickly in water.



In the kitchen, I used the heat gun to remove the paint from the window and I started on the door into the mudroom. I made a new windowsill from leftover pine boards. When I went to the router to ease the bottom edge, I rounded over the wrong edge on about 6" of it. I chopped that off and replaced it with a new piece. It's glued and clamped. In the morning I'll finish it once the glue is dry and I can sand it smooth.

Lovely view, eh? Hanging on that old clothesline is a rug that I assume is from the apartment on the left. Its been hanging there since the spring. I'm thinking it might just get gone one late night this week. Obviously, I would never do such a thing, but I know people.





I got the last three pieces of beadboard installed as well. The outlet that was giving me trouble fit once the 3/8" plywood was added to the wall. The box is attached to the concrete block behind the plaster.



It's still moist out. The temperature is 50 degrees and holding. The basement is 79 degrees. Upstairs, it's 64. I wonder if heavy drapes would help with the heat loss? This evening, I'll sort more seeds. Back to work tomorrow.

7:47pm - I finished the windowsill. The scraped frame needs sanding. Bondo was used on some really bad spots.



Ya'll are funny. I don't take any vitamins. I drink about 4 cups of coffee and put on some music.

I'm not dead yet.

Two posts in one day. I just wanted to make note of these things in the yard.

Redtwig dogwood.



Nandinas.



Oakleaf hydrangea. This plant is finally shaping up. I hope it really takes off next year. I moved it again this spring.



Cotoneaster in the orchard waiting for spring. It'll be planted on the former snake pit.



Still not ripe.



Gerbera.



White hyacinth bean and moonvine.



Korean lilac and alternanthera.



Crape myrtle.



Burford holly.



Purple queen.



Rudbeckia fulgida and purple lantana.



Nasturtium.

The basement is dry.

For the time being, anyways. Ida has swept a large band of storms south from Virginia. At the moment, the largest cells are moving through the Triad area of NC. They should be here by noon. We've gotten another 2.5" of rain since yesterday morning. A roaring fire and a couple fans dried the basement floor overnight.

There's still some color in The Wild. It's been almost a month since I've seen hummingbirds, but the bees are still clinging to the pineapple sage.



In the cloner, the first roots are appearing. This one is Miss Huff.



This is a Montauk Daisy. I've never tried rooting these before. Looks like it works.



This morning, between rain showers, I hope to take more cuttings from several butterfly bushes. Yesterday I took cuttings of white. I know someone that needs some variety in her life. The new ones will go into the cloner. The white ones were stuck in soil and placed in a zip lock bag on the light rack. We'll see which ones do best.

Off today, no other big plans. Might do something on the kitchen. Might take a mid-morning nap. It's 45 degrees outside. It's windy.

4:03pm - I didn't do much. I planted a pampas grass I had bought a couple weeks ago. I also planted three cotoneasters in their temporary winter spot. I took cuttings, of course, and stuck them in the cloner. I also moved the Leyland Cypress I planted almost two years ago between the driveway and the basement door. It'll get much to large for that area. It now lives with the others behind the orchard. In its place, I put the Hollywood Juniper I bought this spring. I think the randomness of that evergreen will be more interesting in that area.

I also did a little work on the kitchen. I got the last piece of beadboard next to the behemoth done. I also installed the chair rail in the little vestibule that leads outside.



Two more pieces of each and that will be done. Maybe later. I need a nap. Must have been all the chili.



It's 50 degrees and has been raining on and off all day. I've got a fire in the basement and the house is comfortable. I've got to chop some more wood this weekend.