Gardening in the South: Is Spring Springing in My Organic Garden?

Could it be spring????

 It's still February and buds are swelling on the ornamental pear.  Tree branches are turning rosy, and the fruit trees are showing just the beginning of buds.  It was balmy and breezy last Saturday, and I took the opportunity to walk around the yard before a cold front thundered through.  My daughter says we have had all four seasons this week:  last Saturday was summer, Monday was spring, Tuesday was fall with thunderstorms and wind, and Friday was winter with highs in the 30s despite the sparkling sunshine.  Today is predicted to be both winter and early spring:  we awoke to a thin coating of ice, but the sun should warm us up to the 50s later.  For now, I'm snuggled inside.

First blooms

The forsythia is just beginning to bloom and the blackberries are leafing out.  Just a few more dry days and I might just be able to turn under the garden strips before the spring rains.

The "scout" blossom

The roses are also beginning to leaf out so it's time to trim them back. They were not trimmed at all last year so the pruning will be severe, especially for Mrs. B. R. Cant and Duchesse de Brabant.  I should have plenty of cuttings.

Does anyone have a good rose cutting propagation method for a beginner?

I tried rooting cuttings last year, but with little success.  I've read about several techniques, but what do you think?

Time to prune blackberries?

Baby blackberries leaves!

If I'm reading correctly, the blackberry side shoots should be trimmed to 18"-24".  This is really scary since some of them are several feet long.  We had such a good crop last year and I am greedy:  I want an even better crop this year.

Time to turn up the heat

Well, as I suspected, the fluorescent lights do not produce enough heat to warm my seed starting greenhouse.  Since it's in an attached garage (someday I'll have a real greenhouse!) I need to be especially cautious about it.  I've seen several methods, many of which have involved incandescent Christmas lights and rope lighting.

Have you tried them?  Do they work?  How have you used them?  Have you seen mine????  I should have some around here somewhere . . .

Any other suggestions?????????

I really, really, really do not want to ante up for real seedling mats.

Now you see it . . .

As I looked out the back door across the ice-glazed porch, I would swear I caught a glimpse of a lone hummingbird!  The light was poor, but it was the right size, and it darted off like a hummingbird.  Considering that, on my farm, a groundhog would definitely NOT see his shadow this morning--which means a mild spring--I wonder if the little bird knows something I don't????

What's happening in your Savory garden????

Nancy