It's winter again!

 So cold, so snowy.  Well, it is February and this is what we should expect.  We'd been lulled into a spring mindset with a week of above average temperatures and now we're back to reality.

I've sown my peppers; NuMex Lemon Spice jalapeño, habanero, and Hungarian Hot Wax.  In another tray I've sown impatiens and eryngium (sea holly).  From my second sowing of my own collected seeds, the only ones that germinated were a couple more Gerber daisies, and a few more prairie coneflowers.  BUT...I'm up to five Virgin's Bower seedlings, which is amazing.

 I'm also dealing with an infestation of white flies, which is incredibly frustrating.  I'm hitting them daily with soapy water, but it's not working to full effect.  I think next year I won't bring any herbs back into the house for the winter.  It's either fungus gnats or white flies or improper conditions, so time to give up on those.

I did take advantage of the snow cover to clean up some pine boughs from the mule track and burn them.  I hate burning brush more than anything, but I'll admit it feels good to know that chore is done and I won't need to do a major cleanup when spring gets here.

I finished my needle felted rabbit, too.  My specialty needles and whisker material finally arrived from the UK, just in time. 

For my first project, I'm very happy with how everything turned out.  I'm now working on an Easter garland. 

The birds are really coming into the feeders en masse lately.  The cardinals are getting really bold, showing during daylight hours as well as dusk and dawn. 

And one of the male goldfinch has decided he's had enough of his drab winter garb and put his spring finery on for the ladies to admire.

I know them feels, little guy.  I wish spring would hurry up and get here, too.

Random Updates

20 days in and only four prairie coneflower seeds germinated, but they are doing well.  3 of the 4 now have their first set of true leaves, and one is about a week behind the rest. Only one of the Gerber Daisy seeds has germinated, and none of the Rudbeckia or Blue Mist Spirea.  

 

 

 

I suspect if I had a heat mat it might make a difference; for now I've lifted the seed tray using books to get it as close to the grow lamps as possible.  I'm going to dig out another seed tray and repeat the plantings on Feb. 1st, investing in a heat mat for this round, and see if I get better germination.  I'm happy enough with three healthy prairie coneflowers; I paid $15 for the three plants I collected the seeds from that I planted in my new garden last fall, so I've doubled my investment in less than a year...if I can get these seedlings to survive until June, when they can be planted out.

 

In early autumn I had spied a Virgin's Bower vine in seed near a telephone pole, and I stopped to grab some of those seeds a few weeks ago.  I'll try germinating them, and if they take they'll be planted in my woodland garden.  There's another giant project on my plate - I really need to get in there and start cleaning up that area.

 

I've been working on my needle felting project a little at a time.  It no longer looks like some kind of Island of Dr. Moreau cast-off and is more bunny-ish.  

 I was at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed at this point.  My intention was to make a realistic looking rabbit, but it became more and more toy rabbit looking.  I decided to go with the more whimsical toy look and gave him exaggerated back feet.  Then I couldn't figure out what to do with his front feet.  I had planned to do a standing rabbit, and in that case they hold their front paws to their chest, hanging down in front.  No matter how I positioned him, he just didn't look right.  In the end I needle felted a carrot for him to clutch.

I'm waiting for some new specialty needles to arrive from the UK.  I'm hoping to make him look a bit more finished before I declare him officially completed.  He'll be part of the Easter display I'm making for my mother, along with the felted eggs I've done.  I have to say, it's an addictive hobby and I'm really enjoying it.