Good morning, gardeners! If you are new, welcome. I am your substitute host, filling in for our beloved Frankenoid.
How predictable is your winter weather? The first week of January temperatures got well into the 60s, making me wish I had more planted now. Our area of the Ozarks teeters between zones 6 and 7. We can hit well into the hundreds in the summer but then drop below zero in the winter. I planned this diary when I assumed we’d be in the zero range today. All of the photos here (except one that I identify as summer) are from late December or early January; they’re just not from this year. Follow me below the cheese doodle for winter in the Ozarks.
One of the things we love about living here is how our garden and whole yard attract animals through the winter. Whether it’s a cardinal trying to get a nibble in driving snow . . .
or the deer that come looking for fallen apples or a bit of corn, . . .
. . . the animals make the yard and garden colorful, even when it’s blanketed with snow.
In a good year, I have time to let our visitors get used to me, so that they’ll come forward on a cold day to see if I have anything for them.
Twin deer are my favorite.
Of course, gardeners have a love-hate relationship with deer. Good fences definitely make good neighbors when it comes to deer.
Even in winter we keep planting here.
Peeking under cold frames can be like discovering buried treasure!
And some plants just re-dress themselves for winter
from their summer glory.
Despite winter's dark days, I have some great news about the chickens, a.k.a. our fertilizers. We got our first egg on January 9!
It was perfectly formed, a lovely shade of pink, from our Buff Orpington Rosa. It had a lovely golden yolk. It also tasted like butter. Andit's healthier!
Of course, it wouldn’t be SMGB without a pootie, so here is Cossie, contemplating what we’ll grow come spring, as she freezes her paws.
Or is she planning on hibernating until it warms up?
Maybe she'll just work on a puzzle.
(More animal photos from the homestead are here.)
Tell us about your winter weather and attempts to garden in January. Have you started seedlings? Are you still drooling over your latest seed and bulb catalogues? Are you one of the lucky few who is harvesting now?
All photos copyright Ozark Homesteader 2012.
