It feels as if we’ve entered into the phase of the year where we never know what the weather is going to do. Recently, we went from an almost 80 degree day to snow flurries within 24 hours. It’s also the time of year where things start to feel a little busier here! All of a sudden, seeds need to be sown, shrubs need to be pruned and things need to get readied for the busy season ahead!
Sugar Season
Our sugaring season ended rather abruptly when the temperatures went soaring. Optimal days for making maple syrup include nighttime temperatures below freezing with daytime temperatures in the 40’s/50’s. This gets the sap flowing freely through the trees! Once the temps are no longer below freezing at night, the saps slows and then stops. However short, we still got plenty of syrup! Our friend Trystan calls it the most wonderful time of the year because of the delicious smells in the sugar shack!
In The Greenhouse
I feel like I seeded my sweet peas a bit late due to all the snow but happily they have almost all sprouted and are looking good. I let them germinate in a cool spot indoors (by a window) and move them back outside to bulk up as soon as most of them have germinated. Sweet peas are cold hardy and get stocky instead of leggy when exposed to cooler air! I’ve also started my pink celery and ranunculus.
In Bloom
We have a row of Mt Aso Willow in the field in a particularly troublesome wet spot. Mt Aso has beautiful red catkins that usually blooms around Valentine’s Day. The plan was to sell stems but this year, most likely due to the extreme cold, they are several weeks behind schedule and are just now ready. I recently spent a few hours working on propagating red twig dogwood. I ended up having several stems left over and along with the Mt Aso Willow we had our first mudroom arrangement of the year!
Is there any other plant more full of hope than snowdrops? They show up often when we are in desperate need of flowers and green and even manage to push up through snow and ice. I love them.
Our witch hazel is also blooming! I’ve accidentally almost killed this plant multiple times through neglect so I am thrilled it’s gotten to point it’s healthy enough to bloom!
In The Woodland
I have a thing for owls, I just adore them! We will often hear them in the woods but I’ve never had a spotting on our farm, much to my disappointment. For my birthday, Bryce made me an owl house and we were finally able to put it up in a tree! I so hope an owl makes it his home! Finally, Rosie and I have been going for our daily walks in the woods and we sometimes get everyone else to go with us!
