22 January: some cutting back

Friday, 22 January 2021

At home

The seemingly endless good winter weather drew me outdoors by noon. I hope we get at least another week of reading weather before spring comes. There hasn’t been enough reading time yet.

With the temperature (45 F) too cold to comfortably weed, I decided to go ahead and cut back the Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ in the center bed. With stalks too thick for The Toy, it had to be cut with hand clippers. Of course, some weeding as I went along was irresistible.

I cut down the Panicum in the center bed, as well. Before and after, center bed:

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The south end of the center bed has sweet woodruff, which I had sworn after my previous garden that I would never grow again.

I pulled as much as I could, peeling off mats of roots that I could have potted for my plant sale, given more energy and less cold wind. I used to think ground covers were desirable until I learned how most of them get into the other plants’ business. There are now only a few that I like, and I can think of only two right now: Geranium macrorrhizum and epimediums.

The cold made me wonder if I would regret cutting the sedums and grasses because it might snow and they would then look so picturesque for a couple of hours. I just wanted it done though, so I can better see my crocuses emerging.

Even though I was cold and wanted to go indoors, I decided to cut some pink turtlehead in the west bed, because it’s easy. It breaks at the base by hand or with a kick of the foot.

Chelone lyonii (pink turtlehead) before

Allan had come outside to get the solar fountain out of the canoe pond to repair. He helped pull out a half dead Leycesteria; I have two others and do not need this sad one in this spot.

Old and woody leycesteria (Himalayan honeysuckle)

Human wins!

After:

I admired, from inside the south fence, the results of our willow grove project. On a day that is warmer and not windy, I will pull the ivy from the little bank on the inside of the fence. It would look wonderful to have ferns or epimediums or pulmonarias or all of those on that low bank.

Here it is earlier this year:

And today, looking so much lighter.

Allan’s repair of the solar fountain, whose wires I had cut while trimming back Geranium ‘Rozanne’ last autumn, was successful.

Perhaps because the weather was so cold, Zinc spent another day on top of the dryer in the laundry room, while Faerie curled up in the rag basket. She disappears in there because the door shuts after her.

Nickel loafed on the north shelf of the north catio.

The Greys seem to spend even three coldest night so far outside on the south Catio, but Faerie, whose fur is not as plush, sleeps on a chair at night.

Given his druthers, Skooter would spend most of his time night and day outdoors, no matter what the weather.

Here is the one place we ask the cats not to sit. Allan made a long board with nails in it to put here to make it uncomfortable for sitting. The cats are on top of it.

Speaking of telly, we are both looking forward to BBC Winterwatch. It is already playing in the UK, but BritBox won’t have it till February 9th. We are counting the days; we so love The Watches.