Memories Can Help

    This article is being written before mid January. So far this season we have had in excess of 112 inches (284 cm.) of snow. In the latest cycle there were 26 straight days of snow. We will not be around during the latter part of January as we are taking off for somewhat milder climes. Enough is enough. Even memories of the last gardening season, though helpful, are not quite sufficient just now.

   Outdoors the primary colors are black, white and shades of gray. The Chickadees, Juncos and Tufted Titmouse at the bird feeder mimic their surroundings. The Slate Colored Juncos, which like to feed on the ground on seed spilled from the feeder, are hilarious when they attempt to do so. They try to land on the surface but rapidly start to sink out of sight in the soft fluff and quickly change their minds with wildly beating wings. Occasionally the sun does appear and a miracle transforms the world. Everything sparkles. Diamonds sprinkled on the snow flash back bits of sunlight. The Cardinals and Blue Jays are more brilliant. Animal tracks are trails when the snow is deep and powdery. Not even deer leave single footprints but drag furrows in the snow. Warm and snug indoors, with a fire on the hearth, we can recall the time when gardening was a hands-on pleasure. Just now, even pulling weeds would be something to do. Memories bring back gardening while everything is asleep under the snow.

    Last fall I brought in a number of pots of plants when a frost warning was sounded. After danger was past I returned them outdoors for Indian Summer. They included a Brugmansia grown from a cutting given to me by Carol. Last summer it was magnificent, bearing a multitude of blossoms. Then, it and all the others placed back outdoors succumbed to an unexpected hard frost that came without warning. I am happy to report that now, indoors again, the Brug is replacing its leaves so I anticipate another summer of massive blooming. I have it and a number of other plants in a cool basement with illumination from a couple of windows and a door with large glass inserts. Hardly enough compared to a greenhouse. I keep trying to over-winter things such as Fuchsia with little success. It takes all summer long in the sunlight to bring the plants back to fullness. After germination with bottom heat, my seedlings

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