The big Hibiscus standard may be dead. The quick and deep freeze in November may have been too much for it. The late Cymbidium orchids have several dead looking leaves but many more seemed to have survived. This gorgeous yellow Cymbidium was brought into the house early because I could see the bloom stalks already developing. It looks great against the background of deep snow just outside the solarium. These blooms should last for several weeks. Winter seems to have arrived and with a vengeance. I’ve used the new snowblower 3 times already and it’s not even Christmas yet. On the good side I’ve already had one wonderful day on the ski slopes. The Thanksgiving Cactus on one side of the solarium is dropping all its blooms even as the Christmas Cactus on the other side starts to open up, right on schedule.
The early and deep snow made one of our Christmas traditions a bit more difficult this year. Finding the Brussels Sprouts this week was a challenge. There was a pile of snow to walk through and the weight of the snow had bent over those tall plants. After much digging and sweeping we did manage to find them and then harvest a nice crop of Sprouts. They were delicious and there are some left in the fridge for Christmas dinner. I could just see the tops of the remaining Leeks and an attempt to extricate them quickly made it obvious that we would see them in the spring. That makes the outdoor gardening season officially closed until all that snow disappears.
If you still have a gardener to buy a gift for then this Gardener’s Journal is a great gift. It is most useful to gardeners who live in S. Ontario but much of its information could be used by any temperate climate gardener. It is published each year by delightful garden writer friend of mine and it is well worth a read.
That’s it for 2016. Dallying is going to have a nap until sometime early in the new year, probably when the first Begonia seeds start to find their way to the germination bed. Until then relax and peruse the seed catalogues. I hope all of my readers have a wonderful Christmas and New Years and enjoy family and friends over this holiday season. We will see some of our children and Grandchildren but sadly not all as they live in too many disparate regions of the world. The magic of Skype or Facetime will keep us connected. See you all in 2017.
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