One In A Dozen for Diana

I am joining Diana of Elephant's Eye in choosing twelve months of my favorite garden plants. In this month of January I miss the sun and what could be more fun than Sunflowers? My first selection is Sunflowers!

Ever since I planted that first tiny Sunflower seed and witnessed the gigantic bloom that sprung from the ground in what seemed like overnight, I have been growing Sunflowers. Bees, flies, butterflies, hummingbirds, song birds, woodpeckers, chipmunks and squirrels - all enjoy our native Sunflower.

There are many annual varieties to choose from but I always make sure I choose the varieties that do produce pollen. I also grow perennial Sunflowers, Helianthus Microcephalus.

I let my Sunflowers stand over the winter. Birds relish the seeds. Woodpeckers will search for insects inside their stalks.

I cannot imagine a summer without growing at least one plot of annual Sunflowers.

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What's Blooming: Paperwhites

It's January and now, finally, the garden is covered in snow. But indoors, I have blooms – big, beautiful Paperwhite blooms. The entire house is scented with their heavy perfume. I have two pots. One adorns the edge of my kitchen/dining table.

I have tied a ribbon around them to keep them upright. If you force these bulbs in water, I've read that you can avoid flopping by adding a little vodka or rubbing alcohol to the water. I have not tried to water mine, which I planted in dirt, with a little alcohol.

I am guessing, but maybe Paperwhites received their name because of the paper-like wrapping the buds leave behind.

The Paperwhites in my new cool, face pot are not flopping. They are planted deep within the pot and the edge seems to be keeping them upright. This is the first hair style this pot has tried on. I will have fun experimenting with new "hairstyles."

Bloom day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month. I always look forward to these monthly blooms.

Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Sleet

... nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds. I'm not so sure that motto will hold true today. I certainly don't envy our postwoman. The original saying was actually "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" and was said about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus.

People around here are quite wary of ice storms since the Ice Storm of '98. During that January over 100,000 people were without electricity. Electricity was not fully restored for more than three weeks. To this day our trees are strictly sheared so as not to cripple power lines.

Ice, not snow, nor frost, glazes the garden white today.

Most people are out shoveling and scraping, but not me. I'm skating around the garden taking photos. We all lead different lives.

Grasses look beautiful sheathed in ice. No worry about damage unlike my White Pine that sadly, alarmingly bows to the ground. I read somewhere it is best to not shake off the branches. I hope the bows bounce back.

I'm happy that I can walk, slip and slide, to work today. Safe travels to those on the roads.

Sources: The Phrase Finder, North Country Public Radio