I slip out to the lottie now and then when the rain isn’t too hard. So then, Yesterday I went here to clean the gutters, take care of the cut rose branches one other thing. Whilst strolling about, I noticed this ridiculous sight: Puhleeese say it ain’t so. Well, it IS so—The Daffs are coming up. Judging from their height, they may have broken the soil a week ago. This is way too early. I chatted with the bloke across the fence about this, that and the other. He was cleaning up his allotment in preparation of leaving. He isn’t going far, just taking another garden with a house and a greenhouse on it. I am glad he isn’t quitting because he knows what he is doing, and someone to discuss garden things with. Well, today i nasty outside so we did the kitchen cabinets. Whew! That was work, and it involved some ladder climbing. There was time for other important things too. The seeds are ordered. The spuds come later. A walk into the old city centre looks like this. The large structure over to the right is a small skating rink. The guys inside were adding layers for the kids to skate on. Christmas is on the way.
My daffs are coming up in my pots, daffs usually come up early. In the ground the hyacinths are poking through but they should stop until the spring.
Surprising, Eileen. I am scratching my head. Loggie, mine are never visible before january-february. For here, it is well early.
That's a joyful sight, Sjoerd! Early but happy. No early daffs yet here. I might have missed them. The grape hyacinths always have leaves now. They are just like that. Almost all of the garlic is up now too. Lilac buds have swollen. Sometimes they get blasted by a freeze. Sometimes, they don't. Your view of the old city center is especially beautiful. My area doesn't have many old places. I think we are worse off for that. I understand that life, and history, move forward. But I appreciate looking at the places that have been traveled on life's journeys. Your table with seed packets and a lovely menorah are equally joyful. A belated, "Happy Holiday!" Happy to see more life on the way in the garden. I'm debating whether to order spud starts. The order is in the "shopping basket" but not finalized.
That is a beautiful photo of your old down town area Sjoerd. Your seed ordering collaboration looks very exciting! I'm sorry to hear about the Dafs. Hopefully they don't suffer a huge frost again. When mine poke up a little early in the spring and get frosted ( which is almost every year) , most still flower but the tips of the leaves are always yellow from the kiss of of the cold. It sounds like the cold and then the warm up tricked them out of dormancy early. Any buds on your trees? That's when I worry. We had one year where everything budded and then froze. There were hardly any leaves in the forest, and no lilacs or apples that year. We heard on our local radio station that this date in 1900, a city three hours north of here, but on a plateau, was +16, instead of normal -18. Record breaking warmth. We're all quite a lot above normal temps but not that extreme. This day last year I was -38. Today I'm 0. It's a weird year for sure. Fingers crossed for your Dafs.
Haha…Daniel— that is not a menorah. It is what we call here a “welcome light”. The Bride’s parents brought it back for us from Norway. Way back then, it looked very modern. It is beginning to loose lights now, poor thing. Welcome lights are less popular now, but I see a few in the windows and one or two in the shops that sell Christmas decs. Our old city centre; which I have written about on here before, has some old buildings surrounding the red stone. It was the core of what my city was and has become, with one side of the square separated from the Zuider Zee by the Westfriese omringdijk way back when. The tall façade over to the left of the pic is from 1632, has had a couple of functions but is now the West-Friesian Museum. Thanks Mel— You guys have had some weird weather there. I may cover the daffs with some of those leaves I have been bringing in.
I have rhubarb coming up! I covered it with leaves, so I hope, when it does get cold, it doesn't hurt it.
Willow, will you use one of those ornate rhubarb forcers? December is a bit early to begin forcing; however, they say that between november and march is oké. I’m just curious. Daniel— mate, what a surprise! Wotcha gunna do? What is your plan to put the brakes on?
Sjoerd, I don't think the earliness will hurt daffodils a bit. They will not grow much, if at all, until warmer weather. Freezes don't bother them. Garlic and Muscari are also up. They are early every winter too. Then again, if I'm wrong, you'll read it here The main problem for garlic and winter onions is slugs. I put put slug bait yesterday.
Oké Mr D, I get it. Do you think yours will bloom early? That would be a shame, but yellow is welcome any time of season. You saw what happened to my early daffs up above, right. You saw the tidy, straight freeze tops , right? Well…or it could have been caused by a hoe too, I suppose.
