Spring Has Sprung!

[PolishWineP]

Beats the heck out of sitting at a desk all day!

 

[swillologist]

I think you should pick the cranberries and make yourself some wine. They look like they should just about be ready. Then I wouldn't feel like I was the onlyperson that has made wine out of them.

Edited by: swillologist

 

[NorthernWinos]

I read a little about these Cranberries...It said they are edible once cooked...Did you steam juice yours????

I will eventually make a batch of wine once we get more of them coming...wouldn't want just a 1 gallon batch....would I?????

 

[swillologist]

No I didn't steam them. I did the fresh fruit thing.The recipe called for boiling water to be poured over them and the raisins. That is how I did it.I'm not sure you will need more then a gallon.

Mine is still bulk aging. I haven't got up the nerve yet to try to get passed the smell to see what it tastes like. I think it will definitely need some back sweetening though.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thought I would get an early start cleaning up the shrub or flower beds...or...maybe prune the grapes...

Checked out the Wine Garden...Snow banks on 3 sides...one side Old Man Winter drifted the snow high along the shrub border...one side the Old Fart running the township snowplow winged off huge drifts..the other side my Old Man piled snow over your head...the far side is where the veggies grow.....Mother Nature has melted that off nicely into slippery mud...So won't get out there today.

The willow branches are turning red/yellow and orange...so you know that the sap is flowing....Where I threw ashes on the asparagus the snow has melted nicely to the ground....

Thought I might attack the perennial flower bed and clean that out...A nasty rain cloud blew in, the winds are so cold I got a 'brain-freeze'....so nix that plan.

Meanwhile...indoors...the Black Currant cuttings are happy in 'real sunshine'

The Iron Cross Begonia is blooming...never saw one bloom before...not very showy...

And...the pink Amaryllis has thoughts of spring coming to life...

Life is Good!!!!

 

[rgecaprock]

It doesn't look like it will be much longer for you to be able to spend the day outside and I know you are looking forward to that. Beautiful amaryllis.


I went to my "new house" yesterday for the inspection and took a close look at the yard. I see some established flower beds around the front and side and I have 3 trees in the back yard. One is a magnolia or tulip tree, I think and one is putting out deep purple leaves the other not sure. I will be ready to plant when I get settled. Like you, NW, looking forward to being out there.


RamonaEdited by: rgecaprock

 

[NorthernWinos]

Do you have watering restrictions in your city???
Any planting restrictions????
Or can you go wild and plant anything you want???

Looked like you will have plenty of space to sod-bust and till the Earth. I am sure you will be anxious to check out the soil and see what it can grow.

Why don't you start a new Topic...Ramona's Garden...so we can watch you grow from the begining.

Such an exciting time for you...a new home and your own piece of the Earth....You Grow Girl!!!!



Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[rgecaprock]

I think I can grow what ever I want. But there could be water restrictions depending on the weather and rain levels. I've been reading about Square Foot Gardening - Mel Bartholemew. It makes perfect sense to me. Curtis is going to build the boxes for me. I'll have to decide on the placement when I get a feel for the sun direction, etc. Then I have to find an area for my epiphyllums. I think I have a idea for them......boy, having a hard time sleeping at night these days.


Ramona

 

[NorthernWinos]

How exciting.....I am very excited for you too. Soon you'll be over there having a blast...enjoy the ride....Life is a trip.

I watched the slide show with the photos of your house and am very excited for you...It has such great lighting...lots of windows...I agree on all the windows in the bathroom...cover them ...unless you like that kind of thing?

Had a friend who rented a house and asked the landlord if she could make some flower beds..over the years the whole back yard was flower beds....mostly perennials. Like me she let everything go to seed in the fall...then the neighbors complained about her 'weed-patch'.

Good Luck..hope the transition goes smoothly.



Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[NorthernWinos]

Robin Alert!!!!!
Yard if full of Robins this morning....singing the Happy Bird song.

Put away the heated bird bath....filled the other bird baths...
Put out the rain gauge....

Bring it on!!!!! Spring has Sprung!!!!

 

[grapeman]

Wow you are optimistic! I saw a whole bunch of robins a couple weeks ago and since then we have broken several low records! It is a beautiful sunny day today going for 50 or so! Love all those sighn of spring.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Had two nice days...back to back....60* are beautiful days around here for this time of the year...so took advantage and got some work done.

I cleaned out the perennial flower bed...It was meant to be a Butterfly Garden and this is the only time of the year that you can see the beds are shaped like butterfly wings..[if you have a good imagination]

I did manage to get to my meager grape vineyard and got them all trimmed...It was very painful for me to trim those vines...knowing I was cutting off fruiting vines.

But it had to be done...Some of the rambunctious vines had been let to sprawl a couple years ago when I was sick...then, they got moved last year into their proper rows and left to recover...So...this year they got severely pruned to mimic a grape vine....time will tell if the produce...But they will be better in the long run for the severe 'haircut' they got today...

Jim pruned the fruit trees yesterday...apples, pears, plums, cherries and crabapples...It was too painful for me to watch...they do look great once he was done.

So, the snow has receded nicely. most of whats left was pushed into piles with the tractor clearing the yard....Other areas are what drifted up from the winds...No snow in the neighborhood, except for our yard...think it drifts for 10 miles and settles here.

The areas with snow left must have been 4-5 feet deep at it's prime.

The most painful part of the last two days is seeing the weather forecast...we are to have a Winter Storm Watch tomorrow night and Sunday...Heavy wet snow....hopefully it will remain warm enough that it will be rain....The winds have shifted from South to the North..... Mother Nature always has the last word.

So...will find things to do indoors...rack wine...mix up another batch...transplant peppers and...enjoy the flowers that are blooming indoors...

Think positive....

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[joeswine]

so you do see something otherthan snow?

 

[NorthernWinos]

A cruel awakening this morning...a strong cold front and a spring storm has changed the rain into snow....

Hopefully it will change back to rain.

Best to try to make the best of an indoor day...racked wines and mixed up another batch.

Have a couple flats of dirt ready to transplant the pepper plants...So...will go downstairs and play in the dirt now....

Meanwhile...looking through the plants in the sunroom...and, just ignore what's going out outside.

 

[whino-wino]

Sorry NW, I don't mean to shatter your hopes, but I'm only about 30 miles or so south of you and I've got 4 -5 inches so far today and it's still coming down HARD. Yesterday, my yard looked very much like the pics you posted above. Today it looks like this......

Oh, and according to the radar loop, this system isheading North.

 

[NorthernWinos]

It wasn't suppose to come this far North....dang!!!!

It's so windy that it is hard to tell how much snow we have gotten...North East winds never brings anything good. It is melting on the windows, but settling on the ground.

Oh well...everyone was saying we needed moisture...so if it comes as snow....So be it. Que Sara Sara.

 

[hannabarn]

I think we finally had some luck and the snow went north of us. Just got a little rain and fog. Starting to see some bare ground now!

 

[grapeman]

Friday we were supposed to get a couple flurries in the morning and ranin in the afternoon. Instead it dumped 3-4 inches of snow on us in 2 hours after noon. I tried to go out to prune a bit more yesterday afternoon, but was dropping to the bottom of the snow- up past my knees.

 

[moose]

It's been snowing here since around 9 last nite. We must have close to 16" to 20" by now. Another 10" or so tonite. It was a white knuckle drive to work this morning at 5 A.M. Snowblowed for a couple hours when I got home. Not even close to being done.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We are right on the edge of the storm....Got a few inches....

A girlfriend to the East got 8 inches and it's still coming down...while another friend 15 miles North had a beautiful day....those to the West got nothing...

We did get a nice sunset....

Edited by: Northern Winos