It's much the same here @Joyce Goldenlily, ever so soggy! At least my pink cherry tree and white magnolia stellata are in bloom, which I can see from the window. The heavy rain doesn't seem to have affected them much which is surprising.
I've been lucky, got out at 12.30 and tidied back of shed, sorted out some wood I want to use as bed edging and put this in the shed to dry out and generally pottered. Was thinking of venturing out again but sunshine disappeared before a heavy shower. Will it stay dry for half an hour??
Still waiting for spring here. We've had about 3 weeks of what are normal temperatures for February (high 20s/low 30sF during the day, 10-20 degrees colder overnight), and after the above normal temperatures this winter it's felt like bitter cold. The ground is still frozen and there's about 5" of solid packed snow still on the ground. Areas under trees are beginning to open up, so I'm thinking about sharpening my chainsaw and doing some more cutting back along the stone walls. Ever since seeing them on an episode of Gardeners' World, I've become obsessed with dead hedges. I've been burning brush or hauling it to the dump or piling it up in the edges of the woods, but now I am itching to start a hedge. I can't get posts into the ground yet, but I can get them ready for when it finally thaws.
Inside, my perennial seedlings are going great guns - really pleased with them this year. I've just sown my annuals - pansy, impatiens, prairie smoke, asters, and 4 types of petunia. I ended up purchasing another rack for seedlings because I'm definitely overdoing it this time around! Thank goodness I have plenty of space for one more, and a few extra grow lights.
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
Not sure if it counts but I got my secateurs, loppers and mini mattock sharpened at a GC this morning by a man who can. I do try to keep them sharp but he's much better at doing it than me. I had mistreated my Felco secateurs so he also eliminated the blade nicks. Then I had the GC's special offer of scone, jam and cream plus filter coffee at a reduced price so called that lunch. Naughty but nice!
The sun is out after a day of heavy showers and everything is sodden as Joyce says.
It was lovely and sunny here yesterday so I painted my shed. I had to give it two coats to get the right shade (dark blue) and I felt broken when I had finished. I was covered in stain (it had even soaked through my clothes in some places) so had a nice hot shower and washed my hair. This morning I have been to buy replacements for the paint brushes that I binned yesterday - too knackered to wash them out and they were very cheap.
@Lizzie27 I wish we had someone local to sharpen blades. I do my own, but I confess I'm not very good at it.
This morning is a brisk 10F/-12C with not a breath of wind. Yesterday was similar but windy and I did morning and night barn chores without gloves on; there's something about a gusty winter wind that makes it feel warmer. This morning fingers that have been broken or injured in the past froze quickly and I was wishing I had two pairs of gloves with me.
My indoor started perennials are all looking really good, except for the blue fescue grass plugs. I think I jumped the gun in transplanting them; I've lost a few and the rest are struggling. The baptisia are going great guns - I honestly don't know what am I going to do with 33 of these plants. The newly sown annuals are just beginning to germinate.
I have some Pink Sundae salvia (clary sage) - has anyone ever grown this before? I'm debating starting the seed indoors or in a holding bed outside; it seems this plant takes about 2 seasons to really establish itself.
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
I decided to buy a fine file and small vice to sharpen shears etc , had used a sharpening stone but this wasn’t good enough for shears Very pleased with results
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Then I had the GC's special offer of scone, jam and cream plus filter coffee at a reduced price so called that lunch. Naughty but nice!
The sun is out after a day of heavy showers and everything is sodden as Joyce says.
This morning I have been to buy replacements for the paint brushes that I binned yesterday - too knackered to wash them out and they were very cheap.
Very pleased with results