What a failure. After all that effort during Plantness some fat groundhog comes out of a hole and declares six more weeks of winter, and here we are staring at snow and a thermometer which doesn’t budge. What a jerk. Might as well blame my knee joints as well as that smelly rodent, since in years past I would love this weather for skiing, and just go do that instead, but recently I’ve begun to think about consequences rather than dealing with consequences, and when you start doing that the idea of throwing yourself off the edge of some snowy mountainside doesn’t hold up as well. Plus it’s become ridiculously expensive. I feel stupid spending that much money and still being able to see my house.
The garden covered in snow. It’s evaporating in the sun rather than melting, but at least it’s not a couple inches of ice which is what our more southern neighbors received.
So rather than get outside and embrace the season, I’ve been drifting aimlessly through hours in front of the tv and far too many family size candy bags which are hidden and consumed as a family of one. Even reading has been too much of an effort, but maybe if I just sit down and write a blog entry that can help me turn a corner. It is bright and sunny out so that’s a win at least, if it were gray and snowing again I’m 98% sure this would be a day of endless scrolling and sofa-sitting.
When I did finally drag myself through the garden it was only to see the rabbit damage. Here along the house the bottom three feet of the hollies have been nibbled and turned into rabbit poop. I actually feel bad that they have had to resort to spiny holly leaves to fill their tummies in this snow covered world.
Sorry for such a grumpy post. I’m bored and don’t even have the motivation to consider online shopping but perhaps that’s a good thing? There’s a late-winter shopping event on the horizon and to be honest I might be saving up for it. Have you ever heard of David Culp’s Galanthus Gala? I’m there and selling again and although the weather means I have next to nothing ready to actually sell, the fact it’s almost Gala time means I can finally do redress for one of my worst mistakes of 2025.
Last year was my first year of trying to sell at the Gala, and amongst professional growers and experienced plantsmen, even my decades of “market research” left me feeling nervous and unprepared. In the end it went well enough, but amidst the stress and pressure of making money and hopefully not losing it I held back on purchases, and let me tell you that was an epic mistake. I will not repeat this. New snowdrops, hellebores, cyclamen, and whatever else will fill my car on the return journey even if it means buying more than I can responsibly fit into my garden. I remember a bit of panic last year as fantastically colored hellebores went back to the nursery without new owners and I thought, would it be weird if I yelled ‘no!, wait a minute’? This year I’m yelling. Even those plants which you might look at and wonder ‘who would pay that much?’ are fair game this year and I will worry about the bills next month. Gosh it feels good saying that and I should warn my daughter since she’s helping again and I want to prepare her. Maybe we should work out a bribe which includes forgetting prices. Hmmmmm.
Enjoy your week. If you’re in the midst of winter I hope warmer weather is on the way and if you’re drowning in rain I wish you sunshine. If you are having that perfect spring day good for you but keep it to yourself.
sorta like suburbia 
I shall look forward to seeing you. I have a long wish list for a friend as well as my own, it assuages some of the guilt of shopping as it’s not all for me. We shall ignore the snowdrops waiting patiently already for me to plant them too.
Make sure you say hi, and I wish you success in filling the list! Shopping for a friend is always more fun, especially when they’re the share-an-offset kind of friend 😉
One year I banned myself from buying new plants until the old ones were planted and it worked out really well. Things died for being planted in the wrong spot or being ignored after going in the ground, but far less than when I leave them next to the driveway all summer! But for snowdrops I now take a picture every time a new one goes in, so I can match things up when the label goes missing or I’m absolutely sure I didn’t plant anything there when it comes up next spring!
Oh, I hope a big melt begins soon! Your gala sounds exciting, and something to look forward to.
Yes! A big melt would be excellent… I just can’t find it in the ten day forecast 😉
I can’t even think about the Galanthus Gala but I did splurge on some Eranthus from Carolyn’s Shade Garden a while ago. It’s rare that I regret blowing $$ on plants. I regret if I kill them, but that’s a different story. Am not forcing any bulbs indoors this year so it feels more wintery than last. Hoping the fluctuating intense cold, snow/no snow, warm spells doesn’t kill all of last autumn’s shrub plantings. Ordered a bunch of garden books for myself at Christmas so that helps.
I know what you mean about the extra wintery feeling. I usually have a few hardy cyclamen inside or a primula or two but not this winter and I miss it.
I only regret killing a few things, and it’s mostly expensive snowdrops. Usually I try to replace the losses since then it’s easier to pretend it never happened 😉 Eranthis like to die on me so I always try and get them with a seed pod forming and get seedlings going as soon as possible. I’m surprised they generally come true from seeds but they do, and when mom passes on it’s only another year or two before the seedlings come into their own. I don’t think I have enough forms, I’d like several more but isn’t that always the case?
A good call on the gardening books, I had to resort to English gardening magazines and they’re more pretty than they are in-depth.
That is a lot of rabbit poop. I see rabbit tracks all over but none of it is concentrated in one spot like that.
They have really descended upon my garden this winter. I never knew they peed and pooped so much, and they really stick to their favorite trails and hidey holes.
Isn’t it nice that the bunnies give you fertilizer in exchange for a few nibbles? 😉
Yes, this winter has been a bit more like the ‘old’ days, not the mild ones we’ve eagerly embraced in recent years. A month without breaking freezing is a bit much, but I do believe the worst is behind us. Even 35º sounds promising to me!
Are you giving yourself a budget for the gala, or are you just going to go for broke?
In some parts the bunny ‘fertilizer’ is practically a mulch!
With snow and steady cold I really haven’t worried at all about things overwintering, and the snow came early and before the worst of the cold, so I don’t even think the ground is frozen too deeply. I think the minute we get warm weather and the snow melts, the snowdrops will be up and spring will take off running!
-and no budget, going for broke this year!
I’m grateful that we have lots of snow to buffer against the cold. The rabbits in our yard leave lots of fertilizer also, but I have to be quick and scatter or bury it before Derby finds it. Apparently it is quite tasty.
Have fun at the Gala. I’m skipping it this year. It’s the same weekend as one of the in-person days I have to attend for the CCE MG training. We’re allowed to miss 2 days, but I already skipped one for the Perennial Plant Conference at Swarthmore and a second that was a sick day. So no gala-vanting this year.
Our new puppy was allowed out onto the path leading next door and within seconds had vacuumed up who knows how many rabbit poops. She made herself sick which was good in a way because they all came up within the hour, and she’s shown little interest in them since. Biscuit is another story. He tries to sneak a poop whenever he can, and acts all innocent before suddenly diving into another pile he found. They’re so disgusting.
Haha, I can write you an excuse if you need a plant related reason to miss! But I’m sure the training isn’t the worst way to spend a day, so I hope you enjoy that instead.
At least you have the Gala to look forward to! I just hope it is nice and cosy under that layer of snow for your spring flowers… and perhaps your snowdrop season will last all the longer for it. We have had dribs and drabs of snow all wintr, then it melts off a bit and turns icy and then snows again! Luckily it has actually been above freezing for three days now, but that means mud! Plantness may not have helped spring along, but it was fun anyway. Just think what we might have had if we hadn’t at least put in all that effort to speed up spring! 😉 Have a good week Frank!
I really do think our Plantness efforts did help take some of the bite out of a storm or two. We haven’t had any thaws here yet, but all the sun and a few slightly above freezing afternoons (even if it was only three or four) have evaporated and compacted our snow cover to about six inches. No mud, but I think once the snow is gone the ground will thaw quickly since in spite of our cold and brisk weather, the ground has been under a blanket of snow all winter. I would be surprised if the freeze has gone down much. Not to sound positive about the winter, but I’m not worried at all this winter -unlike others where it’s cold and warm and then ice and blasting cold and then warm again for a few days. Plus no mud 🙂
Looking at the forecast this morning, we are going from two months of consistent below freezing to a week of above. What a turnaround!
Very muddy here, but about an inch below the surface the soil is still frozen! 🤪 (And more rain and snow forecast….)
You are in a very fortunate situation re purchases – as you are selling, you have income and this can be converted immediately to expenditure for “new stock”, an essential of any business. Against my normal pattern, I bought 5 new snowdrops this year and one colchicum. One of the snowdrops cost €150 but I’m sure it was worth it…wasn’t it? Probably not but what the hell, I’ll enjoy it.
Paddy I saw that, and I thought to myself ‘how good of Paddy to let Mary talk him into buying such an assortment of snowdrops’. ‘Tis better to give than to receive’ and here you are allowing her to give. You are a nobleman and I imagine even now you’re continuing to say you were the one who really wanted them. Also I didn’t see a mention of the colchicum. A fall bloomer? I haven’t had any luck with the spring forms here, I haven’t found a spot yet where they last and I think it’s a winter hardiness thing.
Just for the record I’m also not going to be buying anything new this spring just for myself, since that would be unacceptably selfish. All of our Gala vendors are local, so any “investments” I make are just me supporting friends and small businesses, and that is also quite noble I think.
Oh dear, bloody rabbits! But I can assure you that the damage looks less revolting than the result left behind our wild boars…I understand your frustration. No snow here but everything’s flooded…so let’s try and be patient, spring will come eventually. Enjoy your gala 🙃
Oh my gosh, I can’t imagine wild boars spending a night in the garden! That really does put all the nibbling in perspective. Hopefully they have been steering clear of the most precious plantings and are not daily visitors. Also I hope you’ve had a chance to dry out. Relentless rain and mud are nearly as bad as endless cold!
the electric fence helps, still wet though
Cabin Fever much, Frank? Well, there’s improvement in the temperature on the horizon, at least; maybe you’ll be able to get out there before the Gala.
You know, if you spend ALL of your savings on snowdrops, maybe your kids will qualify for better financial aid packages, lol!
I’ll have to get that birthday primula to you soon!
Wow, this is just winter boredom and not even cabin fever. Cabin fever starts today as temperatures edge above freezing and stay there for a few days but the snow doesn’t melt as fast as you need it to… even if you stare at it from the window for hours and then walk outside for a break, only to really focus your staring on specific snow patches and minute signs of life. Fortunately I have yet to damage a witch hazel bud by over-staring.
Hmm. A primula which is bought for someone and then never reaches its destination. Are you trying to make a point about something which may have happened last winter with a similar promised-primula which never left my house? I can’t blame you 😉
Oh, I can so relate to your description of winter at the beginning. I’m surprised at myself for saying this, but February is turning out better than January for us here in my part of the Upper Midwest. Most years, I just want to get the heck out of here on February 1. But it seems doable this year. We will have highs in the 50s for several days starting on Saturday. Crazy. Hang in there!
Thanks! I think we can make it. I don’t know if I could have said the same in January 🙂
Also I saw that day in the forecast which flirts with 50 and I guarantee I’m going to be spitting when I talk and spinning in circles. People will stay clear of me for sure 😉