Maple watching

1/24/2021

I don't know anyone who doesn't to some extent utilize a weather app or channel. Here on the Manor, we watch The Weather Channel for about fifteen minutes every morning. I have Weather Bug on my phone and he has the app from a DC tv station on his phone.  This is all well and good. It's useful information. But when it comes to garden planning, I trust something else. I trust the maple trees. 

Two years ago on January 21, 2021, the maple tips showed new red growth. This year - not so much. Can four days make a difference? Yes, but I'm not expecting it in 2023. We're headed into a few cold days with a very good chance of snow. I'll look for the red tips on the other side. 

This is a difficult time of year for me. Our temps hover around forty Fahrenheit, the wind has a bite, and the ground is mushy underfoot. There are warmer days I could be outside doing something, but I can't use the tractor without tearing up the yard. I sit in my sunroom office under the pretext of writing, but I find myself staring out the windows, longing to be outside in the fresh air. 

The begonia cuttings are doing okay, so much so I may start the other half of the tray. Two of them didn't make it, but that's to be expected. I probably cut those stems at the wrong place. 

This morning, I pulled several bags of homegrown green Bell pepper slices out of the freezer and put them in the freeze dryer. I found clear acrylic bins that are perfect for in the freezer, so I tidied up a bit. I found a rump roast and it's in the Instant Pot. We'll be having beef stew tomorrow, a perfect dinner for a rainy/snowy evening. Keeping the freezer organized aids meal planning, so I'm very happy to have order restored in there. 

When the maples do finally show red tips, I'll sow a few lettuce seeds in trays. I'm going to trust the trees above the Farmer's Almanac this year. The writers of the almanac may know my zone, but they don't know my micro-climate. I'm going to trust my instincts, and the trees, and see what happens. The opportunities to re-seed aren't over until the first frost hits in November. 

The Lady of the Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, maple trees, spring thaw, gardening, Farmer's Almanac, seeds, freeze drying, Instant Pot