The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Winter interest

Dreaming of spring bulbs

Posted on by Posted in Bulbs, Winter interest .

Back in New Jersey and this is me in a nutshell.

Since November

A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on

     

My likeness right? I worked long and hard on that design.

Dude is kind of ripped by the way.

We had 8 more inches of snow today, are in the single digits tonight and tomorrow and it literally feels like we will not thaw out until June.      

Spring not far off right? Right? A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on

 

Photos of the snow have gotten old.

Looks cool … still hate winter. #winter #garden

A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on

 

So I’ll just dream of what is lurking under all of that the snow instead. I have never longed for spring bulbs this much in my friggin life.

Enjoy and you’re welcome.

crocus

 

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If you like winter, don’t read this

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

This is the best representation of how it has looked outside for weeks running now.

winter lawn

Hurts the eyes doesn’t it? That is what my entire yard looks like right now.

It’s so icy that the deer are all like “No dude, a bite out of that Holly isn’t worth the risk of breaking an ankle.”

The New York Rangers called and wanted to lease the space for an upcoming practice.

I am not a fan of it or winter, just in case you didn’t know that already.

Our winter routine has become:

  • Wake up and say “Good morning wife.”
  • Walk downstairs, look out window, become blinded.
  • Pop advil like they are Tic Tac’s.
  • Mumble angrily to myself while making coffee.
  • Glance in mirror and wonder who that old man is.
  • Drink first cup of coffee, slide down the back of front door and pray for the strength to make it through.
  • Wake up the kids and blame them for my winter malaise.
  • Speak with said wife while getting dressed and after we are both properly caffeinated, about moving away from this ASAP.
  • Realize we are both late for work and agree to discuss at a later date.
  • Drive bobsled to bus stop and see kids off to school.
  • Walk on crunchy driveway, sprain ankle a bit and get in cold car.
  • Listen to Howard Stern on ride to work and wish I had his job.
  • Complete work day.
  • Drive home and dream big about “getting out”.
  • Freeze ass off walking from car to house.
  • Sit down at dinner together, repeat nightly lecture as to why no TV will be on, talk about our days and say “One more day closer to spring.”
  • Homework, next day prep.
  • Escape it all briefly through some web surfing and a little TV.
  • Turn on heated mattress pad in preparation for bed.
  • Go to bed and say “I love this heated mattress pad”.
  • Repeat.

Please, no lectures about the wonders of winter and enjoying each day. I get it. I really do. It’s just not for me. Maybe one day I’ll mature and look back and scold my middle aged self.

Speaking of maturity, what else is there to do in order to cope? For starters, stomping on the ice to break up the glare and to let off some steam is kind of awesome.

winter foot steps

Incredibly liberating. Mature? Not so much.

Maybe take some photos of plants in winter and pretend to embrace it? OK, I’m in.

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That was … temporarily nice.

The real cure? Head to Florida for MLB spring training.

Later this week, be on the lookout for live action shots of fields of green, the pops of ball hitting glove and the cracks of angry bats. We are looking at temps in the 70’s.

The boys of summer have returned and I am fired up.

Weekend photos

Posted on by Posted in Family, Winter interest .

Yes, I enjoyed the extreme winter weather. I have the right to do that every once in a while.

Enjoy the pics.

Turn your sound up for this one. It adds to the enjoyment.

Valentines Day sledding

A video posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on

 

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Action shot

 

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Getting air

 

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As you would imagine, big guy on little sled didn’t end well.

 

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My daredevil and sweetest little girl on earth.

 

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Putting a smile on my face since 1990.

 

Notice to all deer … please return to your homes … there is an angry homeowner on the loose. A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on

 

Hiding from the deer?

The hydrangea are hanging in there.

A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on

After the snow is gone

Posted on by Posted in Ornamental grass, Winter interest .

Now that all of the snow has melted, it has become obvious again just how much my garden is dominated by ornamental grasses. Call me crazy, but I’ll take all of the browns/buffs/beige/reddish browns over the white stuff any day. I find it oddly soothing, especially during one of our warmer and foggy days like today.

I kid you not, these pics are all from different sections of the garden even if they appear to be repeats. Even I had to look twice at some of these. I guess you can’t have too much of a good thing.

It was hard to locate angles without a grass in the shot, but I did manage to find a few.

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Winter insanity

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

A foot of snow again today (ho hum) and we are due for another 5-10 inches this evening.

Throw in the “thunder snow” we are experiencing right now and you got some wacky climate action going on. I still blame all of the girls I went to high school with in New Jersey in the 80’s and their hair spray fetishes. They clearly contributed to destroying the ozone layer and now we are experiencing the consequences.

My seasonal affect disorder is at an all time high and I lost it today. My poor family. I was pacing and mumbling too myself all afternoon, ready to explode. Throw in the fact that my snow blower wasn’t working and you had one crazy mutha f’er.

So without hesitation, I grabbed my shovel and shoveled my entire driveway. By hand. All two feet of the wet snow and ice. Like a looney tune. For two hours.

Check it out. I was like Jesse Pinkman on the blue stuff.   

And after that unfathomable physical feat, I still had time to make this snowman with the kids.

And yes you are correct, the snowman’s arms are Joe Pye Weed stems. 

I feel better now and my family is happy to have me back.

The joy of winter

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

Another day, another foot of snow. No biggie. We got this.

And we are due for another six inches of snow tonight.

And if early forecasting models are to be believed, another foot this weekend.

Here’s to winter interest!

At this pace, the kids will be going to school in July.

But they aren’t complaining.

They have been keeping themselves busy.

Me, on the other hand … I’m done with it.

Polar vortex’ing

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

Yep, more snow …

Still seems welcoming doesn’t it? Doesn’t it?

There is a young redtwig dogwood buried under there:

A feel for the amount of snow we were blessed with:

The bright sun provided some really cool shadows on the glistening untouched snow:

Why we keep the grasses up for winter:

I could hear the sedums quietly whispering “Help me”:

Awesome peeling bark on the Hawthorn ‘Winter King”:

And through it all, the Karl Foerster grasses remain upright:

The deer have been busy … you know how something is so ugly it can actually be cute? Yeah, me neither: 

A little bit of play time outside and someone was wiped the hell out:

More snow and more ice

Snow Snow Baby

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

First it was an ice storm, and then yesterday it was snow.

The kids were home from school and a little bit too giddy for my liking. Hell, if you look closely in the pic below, you’ll see they are actually enjoying each other’s company:

And check out the funny girl chucking a snow ball at me (How perfect is that snowball by the way? Look at the top middle of the photo):

As much as I have grown to despise the cold, there is no denying the beauty of the winter garden. A time for quiet reflection, a look at the bones of the landscape, the enjoyment of plants dying with dignity and with purpose and a chance to regain our breath.    
 
For shits and giggles, check out the “afters” and “befores” below. Beauty in all of the seasons: 

 

 

Ice Ice Baby