Sometimes a gardener feels like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day constantly repeating actions done the day before. Perhaps it is just a sign of age that time appears to quicken but today was such as day for me as I went outside to get wood, tidy up and take a last glance at the soil before it is covered yet again with snow. For the past month there have been small blasts of snow and cold separated by warm weather and rain. The lack of consistency made January fly as there was no long oppressive month but rather weeks of warm and cold; snow, rain and fog.
Temperatures in the mid 50s and pounding rain melted everything to expose the bulbs that hadn’t been told that it is still the middle of winter. Then as quickly as a warm melt came, a hard freeze occurred making the ground look and feel like heaved concrete.
On days like this is it good to just refill the wood pile, gather up new kindling, check for damage outside and button up for another cold day. Snow will be here soon and it is good to be prepared.
