February 1, 2011 in New England

Howdy Folks!
Today is February 1, 2011 & I am SOOOOOOOOO excited that the days are staying light longer!!

Well, there is a lot happening outside in my 5a zone today, unfortunately it has really nothing to do with my garden. We are expecting 2 more feet of snow tonight and tomorrow.
This is my garden 12/5/2010
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Here it is this afternoon;
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I am planning on inside seeding artichokes, leeks and onions tomorrow.
I will be starting a majority of my vegetables inside on or about March 15. Planting info <~~ click for info
Our anticipated last frost date is about May 15. Most folks around here don't put their tomatoes out in the garden until Memorial Day, May 30.

Thanks Furblsmom for being my editor! a month into the new year and I still type 2010, D'Oh.

So anyway, I didn't get anything planted today as I spent most of the day moving snow again. This is Quiltbea's picnic table<~~click
Mine looks similar as we had another 18 inches of snow fall today.

I feel your pain down here in RI. I look longingly out back at the slightly higher mounds of snow where my raised beds sit. I must say I do a lot of daydreaming these days, standing at the window and envisioning late spring. -sigh-

Thanks for the Farmer's Almanac link. That was helpful to look at for my town. The dates don't jive with what I've gotten from the SFG book charts, but I'm sure a week or two won't matter. Well, I hope they won't anyway. This is my first year of starting from seed.

Interesting that your last frost date is exactly one month later than mine. I'm so glad I don't live in NH anymore.

Ahh, the ocean breeze is a nice thing! Winter and summer. Alas my snow harvest continues today. Expectin' another 6-8 inches snow on Saturday; I'm getting tired of harvesting snow. need some now. current temp 7F .

The ocean breeze is a lovely thing, though this fall and winter it was more often a gale force wind.

I'll be in NH this weekend visiting my parents, and helping my dad dig out from under the new snow on Saturday. Good luck with your shoveling. I'll think of you!

Guys, I watch your before/afters and just go...."OMG" I am glad I don't deal with that relentless snowfall. Down here we get a few inches....two days later, a couple more....and people start calling it Snowmaggedon. (Granted, it was supposed to be worse.) If we got a foot, everything would cease to exist for a week.

Well, it's all relative, isn't it? RI's winters are typically mild compared to NH, esp. in terms of temperature. I grew up with such snowy, cold winters and now I can't bear them. I guess I need to move to the Virgin Islands or something.

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:Guys, I watch your before/afters and just go...."OMG" I am glad I don't deal with that relentless snowfall. Down here we get a few inches....two days later, a couple more....and people start calling it Snowmaggedon. (Granted, it was supposed to be worse.) If we got a foot, everything would cease to exist for a week.

Yep, I'm glad I don't have to deal with the snow fall, but I do miss it every now and then.

It's like once you start to drift below the imaginary line from the columubs/indianapolis/springfield people slowly become more nutso with the weather. I'm one of those people that just refuses to go out in it, not because I can't handle it (please... Jeep... 4x4.... Wisonsinite... used to have to drive my little 2WD Ford Escort in blizzards to work 20 miles one way... UP HILL!) but because I don't want anything to happen to me because of the other "nutso people" on the roads. I don't know how it is where you are but they don't seem to remember a lot of basic driving instruction even on a sunny day.

I've lived in NH, ME, MA & RI and RI are the worst drivers I've ever seen, no matter what the weather. I feel the same way about driving in bad conditions - I'm more worried about the other drivers than the actual condition of the road.

kimbertangleknot wrote:... I don't want anything to happen to me because of the other "nutso people" on the roads...

LOL, I say the same thing about the nutso's in Seattle who forget how to drive in the rain. It's the darndest thing though...I've never met a 'nutso'. How can it be that everyone I've ever met are the ones that complain about nutso's?!

boffer wrote:

kimbertangleknot wrote:... I don't want anything to happen to me because of the other "nutso people" on the roads...

LOL, I say the same thing about the nutso's in Seattle who forget how to drive in the rain. It's the darndest thing though...I've never met a 'nutso'. How can it be that everyone I've ever met are the ones that complain about nutso's?!

I don't qualify as nutso because I've been branded a freak instead, so I am null and void from the nutso group because I belong to another

kimbertangleknot wrote:

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:Guys, I watch your before/afters and just go...."OMG" I am glad I don't deal with that relentless snowfall. Down here we get a few inches....two days later, a couple more....and people start calling it Snowmaggedon. (Granted, it was supposed to be worse.) If we got a foot, everything would cease to exist for a week.

Yep, I'm glad I don't have to deal with the snow fall, but I do miss it every now and then.

It's like once you start to drift below the imaginary line from the columubs/indianapolis/springfield people slowly become more nutso with the weather. I'm one of those people that just refuses to go out in it, not because I can't handle it (please... Jeep... 4x4.... Wisonsinite... used to have to drive my little 2WD Ford Escort in blizzards to work 20 miles one way... UP HILL!) but because I don't want anything to happen to me because of the other "nutso people" on the roads. I don't know how it is where you are but they don't seem to remember a lot of basic driving instruction even on a sunny day.

Totally agreed. Just imagine driving in Dallas with 5 inches of snow? You couldn't catch me going out for a gallon of milk until things changed back.

I drive a plow in the winters and you can't imagine the idiots that think two things far as I can tell....1) If I get behind him, he will likely clear a path all the way to my front door. (I work on parking lots, not for the city.) 2) If that plow guy is coming out of that row, I need to try and get in it. It's the cleanest after all. (or.....screw him, he needs to get out of MY way.)

My theory on the driving (and please no one take offense both are equally bad)? When I am behind the plow, the women never care to look for me or anticipate my next move....that puts THEM in harms way....and after 12+ hours behind the wheel, I am bordering on road rage against stupid people. And, men may be worse. It's the darned machismo thing. Get over it, dudes. It's like a competition for the aisle. Once I pull out of a row, or spot, they have to whip right in like it was reserved. I will sit and try to get out of a line and it's because some foolish MAN is refusing to move and let me out because HE wants in. Again.....bordering on road rage.....and guess what....my plow will win when it gets into your door. LOL.

Sorry for the rant, but I've had that one welling up for a couple days. Oh....lol....and it doesn't help that I was doing a Walmart lot at 6pm....that should explain a lot.

You sound like my stepfather, he plows parking lots too, and deals with the same type of stuff. Craziness. =)

We had ice on the roads the first year I was down here. I went to work, I did not know I was not supposed to go to work with 2" on the ground. I did leave an hour early, wore my long johns, packed a blanket and a shovel, and took the main roads. I got there fine, took longer because I went slow, but no one was out either so I had no problems..... I took drivers ed in this stuff, so I knew what to do, but now I shop ahead, watch the weather, and try to stay stocked up at all times, so I don't have to rush out and meet up with the nutsos in the Wal Mart isles, thats who really gives me road rage, they don't even check to see if someone is coming in the main isle anymore they just push that buggy out in the isle and expect you to stop. Or they block the isles talking. I bump into them, and just say oops, my bad. People know me now, they get out of my way. When it's really full at the stores I take a kid, have them stay with the buggy at the end of the isle, I grab and run, or if I'm alone, I just grab and toss into my buggy with out stopping. I'm waiting for an accident IN the store to be on the news.

camprn wrote:Howdy Folks!
Today is February 1, 2011 & I am SOOOOOOOOO excited that the days are staying light longer!!

Well, there is a lot happening outside in my 5a zone today, unfortunately it has really nothing to do with my garden. We are expecting 2 more feet of snow tonight and tomorrow.
This is my garden 12/5/2010


Here it is this afternoon;


I am planning on inside seeding artichokes, leeks and onions tomorrow.
I will be starting a majority of my vegetables inside on or about March 15. Planting info <~~ click for info
Our anticipated last frost date is about May 15. Most folks around here don't put their tomatoes out in the garden until Memorial Day, May 30.

I am in 5b in southern Iowa. My last frost dates are about right with the book. However, I am planning on using hoop covers this year. I am estimating that I can plant 2 weeks earlier. Well, that is what I am aiming for!

We only got 11" out of that storm. Of course we already had about 5" on the ground. Another 1"-2" coming this weekend. But it has been a lot milder this winter!

I get to plant my cool weather seeds this week indoors, broccoli, onions, cauliflower and some others. Planting time!!

I'm in NH today - white in the sky, white on the ground. But, before I left RI, I said goodbye to my little broccoli seedlings and my newly emerged parsley seedlings, sitting beneath their grow light.

Seeing those little green bits of life manages to balance out all this white and gray. I'm glad I have them to go back to tomorrow.

I'm in southwestern Maine in 5a and I'm dreaming of starting my cool-weather crops the end of the month. For now, this is my garden, under 2 feet of snow.....

The gardening frost-free date has changed from Memorial Day to a tentative May 15th in my area so I'm trying for May 8th since I use row covers and also I have an A-frame.

On May 22nd last year I had all lettuce mix, spinach, carrots, chives and even 2 Matt's Wild Cherry tomatoes in my A-frame and doing well.

By May 6th last year I was harvesting radishes.

On May 26th I had blossoms on my Oregon Tomatoes whose seedlings I planted outdoors on 4/24. This variety can be planted a month before last frost date and they did fine.
I hope for good things again this year if the snow will only melt.

A bad wind storm knocked down my A-frame last Nov and I have to replace one of the poles so I can put it up again, but that won't be soon. Too much snow out there right now.

The cold and snow has done two things for me....given me time to do some quilting and update my blog with Growing instructions. So far I've covered broccoli, cabbages, parsley and this week, cauliflower since those are the ones we'll be starting soon.

This is a challenge project I had to make in January. It keeps me from getting the winter 'blues' while thumbing thru seed catalogs. I think everyone should have a productive side-line while waiting to garden again.

If any newbies out there want a few garden pointers, feel free to check my blog. I keep it updated pretty well.

Let's all think positive thoughts about another bright and bountiful spring and summer. I am.

Wow, what a beautiful quilt! I wish I had that talent.

When I came back from NH I found that while my dh had turned on the growlights each afternoon, he had not watered anything. All but about 3 of my parsley seedlings were dead.

At least it's still early and there's plenty of time to start over!

Quiltbea, I noticed you have more than 1 blog, do you share your quilting techniques on one of them?

FarmerValerie....
Yes I share lots of stuff on my quilt blog, too.
I have a list of photo tutorials anyone can click into and learn different techniques.

Today I'm working on something called Replique which is upside-down applique. I taught an online class on Friday nite for 3 hours and it went well. I have some converts who love the technique and will be making more things. It has a stained-glass look.

Check out the quilt blog below and see for yourself, if you're interested.

I just came back from the Post Office where I dropped off more seeds to send to forum members. I am really enjoying the seed exchange.

I've got the tables in my furnace room ready so I can put up my 3 shop lights. I'm eager to begin garden things now.

Thanks, I'll go visit one day this week!!!

I just had to share this. For those of you that have never lived in the north, this is why we batten down the hatches and why (Sigh) we have to wait so long sometimes to plant our wee seeds out in the garden.
http://www.todaysbigthing.com/technology/2011/02/07

quiltbea wrote:
Today I'm working on something called Replique which is upside-down applique.

Is it like Mole applique?

THANK YOU!!! That is so cool, not cool enough to persuade me to move back to Illinois, but still cool.

camprn, that vid was awesome! been enjoying this warmer (low 40's) weather and seeing the snow pile decrease by the hour!