January gardening

Well, it said in the paper that you can plant potatoes now, so that is what I just did. Two small patches for now, in the garden where I had squash last summer. I finished a little cleanup in the raised beds, and spent most of my time putting those little wire fences around the vegetable garden areas to dissuade the dogs. They can actually walk through the wider spaces, so I was also putting little bamboo stakes there, and even some closer spaced wire panels in some area. I just need to use a better fence. They are 10 month old dachshunds with digging in their blood, and all that loose black dirt just calls to them. So I am putting more wire panels flat on the ground where the plants will come up. Hmm. Maybe just some chicken wire flat on the ground, and I can just leave it until harvest - that would work for most things. lots to try.

My daffodils are starting to peek up through the ground. Should be quite a show later in the spring. There are somewhere near 200, planted closely. Last year I planted a bag of 100, and they were lovely. I had to dig them up, and last fall I separated all the side bulbs when I replanted. Since each one had at least one side bulb, often two, it will be a sea of lovely daffodils! Even this time of year there are pretty things out there, though. There are still a few deep red leaves on the pigeon berry, and the yellow shrimp plant is covered with blooms. The bulbine is blooming as well, and in the greenhouse, so is my mother-in-law tongue, and some kalanchoes.