Warming Up Winter With Some Reds

We got more snow last night....  *sigh* ....maybe I should just have a standard post of a snowscape on my blog since nothing much is changing outside in the garden.  Watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and reading about how mild things have been in the Northwest I'm considering packing my bags and moving out west.... (just joking Andy if you happen to be reading this.... my guy loves the Northeast!).

Luckily there are some nice blooms going on indoors.  The paperwhites came up super fast.  They bloomed in only 9 days.  I planted them on February 7 and 4 days later on February 11 they looked like this.

 

Today they look like this.... all but one stalk is in full bloom. 

 

 

 

Red Lion Amaryllis has been a winner this year.  I love the large red trumpet-like blooms.

 

  

I also have some nice red warm color on my kitchen window sill.  I always decorate this for the holidays.  Here it is decorated for Valentine's Day.  I'll take down these hearts in another few days but for now I'm still enjoying the color.

 

Another Snow Draped Landscape

Another storm made it's way up the coast and hit us last night in Massachusetts.  We didn't get as much snow as expected but it was more than enough for me. 

The raised beds and perennials have been made snowy white yet again as the frozen ground is not anywhere near being ready to till for spring.

 

  

The trees hung low and heavy with cold, wet, snow.

 

 

  

The bright red holly berries stood out proudly against the white veil.

 

 

The birds dug through the snow to grab a bite to eat.

 

 

 

Nesting birds are still over a month away, but the snow topped bird house still looks like a cozy shelter.

 

Our house is snow drapped and laced with icicles.

 

But I'm still dreaming of spring and flipping through a wonderful bulb book to add some warm color to my day.

A Sight For Sore Eyes!

I was in Lowes the other day to pick up something totally unrelated to gardening and saw this!

A seed display!  What a sight for sore eyes in the middle of frigid winter.  I love browsing through all of the seed packets and looking at the pictures on them.  I do a little happy dance because it means that the count down to spring has begun.  Although I've been browsing at seed catalogs for a few weeks now, when the gardening and outdoor displays start popping up in the all the stores I literally jump for joy!  I'm sure my fellow shoppers thought I was nuts when I just stood at this display and stared at it glary eyed dreaming of spring.  Although I always hate it when the stores put out Christmas stuff too early, I never get upset when gardening items start showing up in January.

There was also a beautiful table of orchids.

I really should have bought one because the price was right, but I didn't because I wasn't sure if Lowes-quality orchids would really last. 

Well I've better in gear with my spring planting plan.... I keep saying that but I just haven't had the time.  Instead I'm still after comfort food....  The other day I made a banana cake with cream cheese frosting that Andy loved!  I have to share that recipe with you.

Surviving Winter

Winter is a difficult season for me. I don't like the cold.... it hurts my hands and makes my nose run. My asthma acts up and I seem to spend the entire season with a cough and a head cold. Winter is not just uncomfortable for me -- it's downright painful. Being a gardener I complain all winter long about how miserable I am (poor Andy he puts up with this day after day so patiently) and how I long for the frozen earth to become soft again so that some sign of life will show itself. Although I love where I live, it's winter that makes me yearn for a home in a warmer climate where gardening is a year-round activity.

Now if I were rich I could have one of these....



What you see above is the huge indoor courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston, Massachusetts. While this courtyard is part of a museum, it was also once part of the home of Isabella Stewart Gardner.



Isabella Stewart was born in New York City on April 14, 1840. She married John ("Jack") Lowell Gardner Jr. of Boston on April 10, 1860. Isabella Stewart Gardner had a zest for life, an energetic intellectual curiosity and a love of travel. Isabella Stewart Gardner, known also as "Mrs. Jack" in reference to her husband, was one of the foremost female patrons of the arts. She was a patron and friend of leading artists and writers of her time, including John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler and Henry James. She was a supporter of community social services and cultural enrichment. She was also the visionary creator of what remains one of the most remarkable and intimate collections of art in the world today.

The Gardner Museum and home is a warm bright spot all year round, but especially in winter where the lush greenery of the courtyard provides a welcome respite from the cold streets of Boston.




Looking at this courtyard I can imagine that if I were rich enough to afford such a luxury I could easily survive winter in New England. How grand would it be to escape to such a lovely place and be transported away from the frigid air just outside its doors? Gardening all winter long as birds fly by and others chirping in the palm trees would be pure heaven... *sigh* to dream.




As I look out my window and see nothing but frozen ground and many feet snow... the garden beds not even visible, but sleeping beneath a blanket of white... I dream of spring and of warmer times ahead. The indoor bulbs are blooming, the seeds catalogues are being dog-eared, and soon I'll be watching my indoor sprouts grow. But for now the warmth of our fireplace and cuddling up with my love and our little Ellie will provide me with much comfort and joy.

Indoor Bulb Beauty

One of the joys of winter indoor gardening is watching forced bulbs bloom. I love all the different unique containers that can be used and how beautifully you can decorate with them. While I'm still waiting for my amaryllis to bloom I did some poking around cyberspace to get some inspiration. I hope you enjoy these beautiful pictures and get some ideas too.

Photo credit: Country Living

Photo credit: Country Living

Photo credit: Jackson and Perkins

Photo credit: Good Housekeeping

Photo credit: Country Living