Down South my ----

Yep, still cold.

I finally got my butt over to stare at my plants.  Slightly frozen-ish looking, frosty, wilty looking plants.

*Glint of optimism* Hopefully full of protective delicious sugars!

(Admission: I only went to the backyard today because I really had to empty a couple of WAY overdue compost pails.  These things can make a person much more motivated to exit the house.  That, and a whiny dog.)

All the houseplants are keeping me company but I think I may have lost my 2 year old jalapeno and Tricolore peppers as they got aphids and I may have been a wee bit aggressive in combating the suckers.  It was the third time I had to mess with them aphids and I got really frustrated as they migrated to the other peppers.  Result: leaves falling off and shriveled all over the place...

Maybe they'll grow back? (BTW, anyone have any success in growing jalapenos from grocery store jalapenos?)

Mystery begonia is relatively happy though will need to be repotted in the spring.  Kohlerias still blooming and the pops of orange they're producing lessens the annoyances of the weather. 

Other than that, I've got literally 7 layers of clothing on, 2 of those sweaters, a pair of leggings under my jeans, a scarf and have declared it to be miso soup and oatmeal (cinnamon/brown sugar and banana!) weather.

It's going to snow, and unless it dumps a foot of it here where I can build a snow fort, I ain't coming out.

Holiday Haiku

Not wanting to take a full hiatus for the holidays, I will be composing haikus everyday until things get a little CALMer.

My recent travelings have brought me to snowier regions and the barren land of my sister's home (she's not a gardener either) and I have a serious bent to want to "help" her become one.  Her husband and I scheme to try easy things like beans and cucumbers to entice her and if they want to be a little more attentive, maybe some 'maters.

Sometimes I wonder if I lived in a truly northern, snow-nasty locale (it's only pretty for me for the first 10 minutes in the cold) if I would enjoy the nature imposed garden vacation and be better at planning for the spring garden rather than trying to garden all winter just to make it "challenging."  I think I'd probably just be miserable and whine and attempt to grow things indoors or work on getting that greenhouse in a hurry!

Anyways, haiku time, baby:

Still drunk on summer,
tea steeped from August's bounty.
Winter's not so bad.