My new year has started out great. The weather is good and I worked outside yesterday digging up, seperating, and replanting flowers. Cleaned out some dead flower too. It will be around 79 today and I am getting ready to hit the yards again. I loved working this time of year.

Please forgive me for repeating this same story to you each year.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Hi Dianne

Its great that you can have weather like that and I certainly envy you but enjoy and make use of it as best you can. On the flip side up here in central indy we awoke to freezing rain, frozen and slick sidewalks , driveways and streets,, ahhhhh!, what a difference a few hundred miles can make. Have a great day.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

It has been a good day Steve. Just inside to rest some and then get back out. We are expecting some rain and possibly tonadoes later this afternoon or evening and there are some tnings I would like to get done.

I found sprouts on my Hamelia patens earlier. This is the last plant to put on new leaves in the spring. David 'verity' even has spouts. Y'all will probably hear me yelling between now and the middle of March. We have not had a BIG freeze in years. We are due one. We know it is coming just don'e know when.


Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Hang in there girl, maybe the force will be with you as far as a "big freeze" goes.

Right now I have to be happy with the cuphea shumannii experiment I have going. I have never attempted this before, actually trying to overwinter cuttings inside and I must say they are doing well, as I have them wicked and just giving them a wee bit of plant food. I will soon be taking cuttings from those.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Good luck Steve. I found those sprouts on my David 'verity' and thought I sure hope it doesn't freeze before they get a bit bigger. If we do have a freeze I will cover them. I woult like to cut them and get them started for spring.

Found all my big lantana sprouting so I gave them a good cutting back. I didn't do that last winter and they did not do as well for me. I learned my lesson. Now I have to haul off all those cuttings. I am trying to be gentle with them because there could be coccons or chrysalis on them. Sure don't want to harm them.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

David Verity is pretty root hardy. One I had given away to someone in 2007 came back in 2008 - very dry soil. How long have you been leaving them out?

Ward the Dv are in the ground. They get killed back and then come back when it warms up. Never brought one inside. I have not cut them back because we could get lots of rain and then a very hard freeze and that might kill the root. This is one plant I don't want to lose.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Dianne and Ward--- At the time I took my cuttings I also took DV cuttings . I had 3 dv and 3 shumannii cuttings in the cutting mix and then I became pretty sick for a couple of months so I basically ignored those cuttings. So in spite of me it was the shumannii that would not die. So that in itself indicated to me which was a hardier and better plant to try and winter over.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Dianne, I guess just one heat zone makes a world of difference. I haven't had any damage from cold temperatures, even with the snow. The only plant affected was involucrata and that was from the weight of the snow. I have maybe 10 pots I move in if it's getting below 40 (It was near 80 yesterday.) I think I'm supposed to wait till May to cut back some of the big salvias when there isn't much hummer action. Other than that, I'll wait till march to put out cuttings in a new bed and then plant cardinal climber and morning glory seeds.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan I don't ususally do all this work until the last part of Feb. but I have planned a little surgery now and after that is done it will be March before I can get back in my yards. I am praying that we have a mild winter again this year with that "Big Freeze".

We got a good rain during the night and this morning the sun is shinning but the wind is really strong. It was around 80 here yesterday too. If we didn't have the wind it would be real nice today. According to The Weather Channel the rest of this week and next week are good working days for me. Now in July and August I only see that my plants are watered. No working outside then.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

I can relate. July and August are a good time to stay inside.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Hello Dianne

Happy New Year! I can't think of a better way of starting the new year on a happy and enjoyable note...Spring certainly can't come soon enough here to get in the gardens again...

Susan Louise
from Branford CT/ live in Lincoln NE
Zone 5

Coming home from town this afternoon I saw Japanese magnolias in full bloom.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31