#i know it's like maybe 70F and that's not hot for most people

[queer-reader-07]

the temperature gets above maybe 22 and i am immediately reminded that i am not built for hot weather

[thestarfishdancer]

Thank you for the tag, @shineyma!

1) Have you had a good day so far?

It’s 9:30 on a Sunday morning and I just rolled out of bed. The sun is shining and it’s about 15C/58F outside, going up to a nice ~20C/70F, which is pretty much the temperature range that works best for me. Honestly? It’s looking GREAT so far.

2) What’s something you wish you could tell your younger self?

Stop trying so hard for other people to like you – the right people like you without your having to “earn” it so much, I promise. And it turns out there’s a LOT of right people.

3) If you could share one song with someone for them to understand you, what would it be?

I love music but one song isn’t going to make you understand me. But you should listen to my friend Carmen’s Candle Ice just because it’s cool how she uses candling ice (it’s when the lake ice fragments into separate “candles” that all kind of line up and then it clinks together as it melts and moves).

4) Do you have a song people wouldn’t expect you to like, but you do?

I don’t think so? Music I like is different for all moods and moments, and that changes as the wind blows, so … I don’t know.

5) Describe your go-to pair of shoes.

A sturdy pair of black walking shoes that slip on and, before they got quite as worn, worked as a dress shoe (with dresses) but could also take me trekking around Europe for over a month. They are a bit too ratty for that now, but I’m not exactly going anywhere right now and travel is definitely on hold for quite some time. I’ll probably buy something similar for the next time.

6) Do you have pictures/posters in your room? What of?

Not really? I have a few family/friend pictures in frames on my bookshelves and a small water colour of a dragonfly my friend painted for me, but I haven’t really put up art. I do have some wallspace, so I think when I find it, there some will go, but for now, mostly the walls act as a blank break from bookshelves. J

7) Fave software?

Rosetta Stone? Does that count? I’m learning Greek.

8) Do you own nail polish/what’s your favourite color?

I own some, I almost never use it. Too much maintenance.

9) Do/can you lucid dream?

On very rare (like maybe once or twice in my lifetime) I have changed the course of a dream because what my brain came up with was too scary for itself and even dreaming I had to fix it. Mostly though, I am just a passenger along for the ride.

10) Summer or winter?

Summer. Now, granted, I live in Northern Canada. My summers are not super hot – it usually stays around the range of ~15C/~60F to ~28C/80F at most, which I think is a nice temperature. Also, in winter, we have very little sunlight – in December, we get about 5 hours between sunrise and sunset, and the darkness sinks into the skin. It’s a little hard to go to bed when the sun is out, just slipping below the horizon at midnight, but with a little discipline I just go to my mostly dark room, and sleep nicely and get up to sun and energy and light. I love it.

11) If you could re-live a day in your life, would you? When?

Right now, I’d love to relive any travel day. I miss traveling.

12) Favourite historical era?

I don’t really have one? I like the historical dresses and hairstyles and art, but the historical political situations are a no thank you. Including this historical area.

13) Common misunderstanding people seem to have about you?

I think people who are not close to me think I’m an extrovert, because I function quite well in an extrovert setting now, after years of practice and exercise. But I am an introvert for sure, because all the extroverting is EXHAUSTING and if I don’t get enough quiet time, I start to get anxious, among other things.

Tagging @dresupi, @meghan84, @anniemar, @forgottenkanji, @typhoidmeri, if they want to play, and YOU, yes you! If you want to play, go wild! I’d love to get to know more about you!

[pcttrailsidereader]

April is the Worst Time to Start the PCT . . . Here’s Why

This is a perennial question that has no right answer.  That being said, it is an important decision for each individual to make based upon snow pack, skill level, tolerance for crowds and need for solitude, pace, and, of course, when you need to be done. Daniel Winsor offers his perspective and outlines a number of considerations.

This post seems an appropriate follow-up to the October 29 post about the changes to the permit system for 2020.  It will become increasingly important because these changes will make skipping the High Sierra and returning later more difficult given new permit regulations.

By Daniel “Beta” Winsor

…ok, ok, so maybe it’s not the absolute worst time. December, for instance, probably deserves that title.

I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017, starting on March 26th. But if I did it again, I’d start a week earlier.

Heresy, I know.

Because April 15th, plus or minus a few days, has traditionally been THE time to get on the trail headed north. Last season, those permit dates were the first to go, within minutes of the permits opening up. You ask a group online for their opinion, they’ll tell you mid-April. You read a book on the PCT, you’ll get the same answer.

It’s not a very good answer.

Now I’m not saying it can’t be done, obviously many people have started in April over the years and did just fine. I’m proposing that more people think about starting in March, specifically the last two weeks of March. Here’s a few of the rationales behind starting in April, and why March is almost always a better answer.

1. Snow in Southern California

Specifically Fuller Ridge near Mt. San Jacinto and then Mt. Baden-Powell later on. Honestly, there’s not much too worry about here.

I went through Fuller Ridge on April 5th on one of the highest snow years in recent history… and it was about five miles of low angle snow. People were getting through without any snow gear (not recommended). For me, it was slow, but manageable, in microspikes. Hikers with crampons used words like “cake” and “joke” enough to make me wish I had crampons.

People summit Mt. San Jacinto in the winter. You just hiked over a hundred miles to get to Fuller Ridge. You can most likely handle walking along a peripheral ridge for a few miles in the spring.

Mt. Baden-Powell is along the same lines as San Jacinto. The snow is steeper, but only slightly, and longer, about ten miles. Many of us managed just fine with microspikes, but those with crampons ran across with a common theme of “was that it?” once they were off snow again.

If there’s ANY snow in the Sierra you’ll be dealing with (a.k.a. every year that isn’t an extreme drought year), don’t fear the small patches of snow in SoCal. Get your ice axe and crampons out and go boost your confidence. Never used those things before? Go learn! It’s a great opportunity to figure out if you feel ready to tackle Sierra snow or if you need to flip up north to avoid the white stuff.

There is MUCH chatter about those first snowy obstacles. This is the first time you’ll likely see the word “impassible” crop up online…

Low angle snow is never impassible with the right gear.

2. Snow in the Sierra Nevada

If you start the PCT in March, then there will be a ton of snow in the Sierra, right?? Yes and no, it really depends on the snow year.

During high snow years:

…such as 2011 and 2017 (and 2019), starting in March puts you in Kennedy Meadows in late April or early May. Most people will need a few days to put their gear together before entering the snow, then you’ll enter into the Sierra in the first or second week of May. At a comfortable pace in the hard, firm snow, you’ll exit the Sierra in the first couple weeks of June.

Does that sound early? It is, BUT you get to leave the Sierra before the melt happens in mid-to-late June when crossing creeks becomes a harrowing, dangerous obstacle. Traveling on snow isn’t (terribly) dangerous, crossing creeks is dangerous. Snow is slow, but you’ll keep moving safely forward. Swollen creeks have the potential to turn you around or even kill you. Many of the creeks, up to 80% of them, are possible to cross on snow bridges during the month of May after heavy winters.

Unfortunately, a well known rule-of-thumb is to leave Kennedy Meadows on “Ray Day”, which is June 15th. Hikers who followed this guidance in 2017 damn near gave themselves a death sentence. Most who went into the Sierra in the month of June were forced to bail. Some even died.

Go when the snow is still snow.

During low snow years:

…such as the drought years from 2012 to 2016, March is still the better answer. You aren’t racing to get to the Sierra before the melt happens, but seeing the Sierra in at least some snow and solitude before the crowds move in on the John Muir Trail portion of the PCT will be the highlight of your hike.

An earlier start gives you the gift of time also. The Sierra is an incredible place, most hikers consider it their favorite section of the whole trail. Nobody should be running through it. There’s plenty of monotonous hiking in the hundreds of miles ahead to push mileage.

There’s great trail towns and side trips all along the Sierra also, take more zeros! Like Bishop, California? Stay there a couple extra days. Mammoth is great spot to go skiing in June! You’ll hike right by Yosemite Valley, an incredible side trip to go play tourist for a day or two.

3. It’s too cold.

I’d actually flip this concern and consider it too hot to start hiking in April.

Starting in late March means you’ll be hiking through Southern California section mostly in April. The hottest and most waterless sections of the PCT happen 3-4 weeks after you start, just before getting to Kennedy Meadows.

Water is a big factor here too. Seasonal water sources in Southern California start dwindling in early May, some even earlier. Without those intermittent water sources, you have to carry more water. Some stretches can be 7-8 liters, even more if you’re hiking slow. The most I had to carry was five liters, which turned out to be excessive.

Water caches are a personal enemy of mine (more on that later), but they are a (wrongly) heavily relied on source through those hottest sections, sometimes getting hikers in trouble. Caches tend to be well stocked very early in the season, even before they’re really necessary, but many run dry as the folks who were maintaining the caches don’t have the time/energy/money to keep them stocked the whole season. Earlier hikers have a better chance coming across water in the water caches.

TO BE CLEAR: NOBODY SHOULD BE RELYING ON WATER CACHES.

I apologize for all the capitol letters, how annoying. But anyways…

If you start in April, you’ll be walking through 90F days in May with disappearing seasonal water sources and questionable water caches. Starting in March, you’ll be walking through 70F days in April with every seasonal water source flowing and freshly stocked water caches.

One of those sounds a bit better than the other, right?

Oh, but you can just hike through the night to beat the heat? Uh. There’s cool stuff to look at out there. Why would you want to miss it? You could just stick a treadmill in your basement, stop showering, and turn off the lights if that’s all you wanted out of your thru-hike.

…although you’d also have to pencil in some off-treadmill time for the psychiatrist.

As for the cold, if you have a 20F sleeping bag, you’ll be fine. My coldest morning in Southern California was 23F near Big Bear. But then I was sleeping back in the 20’s the last few days in Washington! If I had started later, I’d have been spending the last weeks on the trail even colder, through snow storms and other garbage that NO ONE wants to backpack through in the final weeks of such and long, exhausting trip. The beginning of any thru-hike is the time to be uncomfortable, not the end.

4. There aren’t any trail angels or trail magic around in March.

Wrong. One of the best parts of hiking in the early season is that you’re one of the first PCT faces most people are seeing. You’re ahead of the “herd” of hikers, so businesses are still happy to see you. No asshat thru-hikers (yes, these exist) have come along to put a bad taste in anyone’s mouth yet. You’re still a novelty in trail towns. You’re the ONLY hiker at bars and restaurants. People haven’t seen PCTers in a while, so they want to say hi and buy you beers and give you rides. You know what people want to do when they walk into a bar with 20 thru-hikers? Probably leave after they throw up, because why would a hiker shower first when there’s hot food waiting?!

Big trail angel stops are still psyched on the season starting. You’re in places like Hiker Heaven and Hiker Town with less than 10 other people, not 50 or 60.

Just like thru-hikers, trail angels get worn out as the season goes on. By the end of the “herd”, there’s fewer and fewer trail angels around. Earlier season hikers easily have it the best when it comes to trail angels, and this continues all the way up to Canada.

5. I’ll miss the bubble of hikers if I start in March!

Uh. Good.

Not that all thru-hikers aren’t amazing people, I made many incredible friends on my thru, but think about what happens when there’s 50 people starting the trail every day for weeks before you and weeks after…

What are the odds that perfect campsite is free at the end of the day?

When someone leaves a couple six-packs of IPA’s as trail magic, what are the odds there will be one left for you?

Ever tried hitch-hiking along a road with 20 other hitch-hikers?

You like solitude? Hopefully you’ll get over that.

I don’t mean to say that a ton of thru-hikers on the trail is a bad thing, but some people like it, some people don’t. I prefer a tight-knit group of hikers I can get to know, but spend as much time alone as I want. That’s what I got by starting in March.

Final Consideration: Permits

Note: See the updates to the Permit system in the October 29 post. These changes have occurred after Daniel Winsor wrote this piece.

This upcoming year is the first time permits will be given out in November, before anyone has any idea what will happen during the upcoming winter! This is understandably frustrating for 2018 thru-hikers.

So what’s the safe bet if you’re not particularly good at telling the future? Once again: March.

If you go with an April permit and we have a dry winter, you’re in for a hot, waterless desert section. If we see another high snow year, an April permit will put you in the Sierra right when the rivers get dangerous.

If you go with a March permit and we have a dry winter, you’re in for a pleasant desert hike with decent water sources. If we see another high snow year, a March permit will give you choices: head straight through the Sierra on hard snow before the melt, flip up to Hat Creek Rim while it’s still pleasant, or drink beer in Bishop hoping it all melts (which this year, it oddly did).

The earlier permit thing sucks. No way around that. But if you’d like to play it safe, March is the way to go. The beautiful advantage to starting early is that you can always take more zeros. If you start too late, you can’t insert time into your hike if you need more.

All considered, you have to choose your starting date based around many more factors. Time off from work, time away from loved ones, financial limitations etc. The most important thing about choosing a start date is to allow as much time as possible for your journey. Nobody wants to death march through such an amazing trail. Take your time, stay uninjured, and go camp next to that gorgeous lake! A core regret of many thru-hikers is not allowing themselves time to thoroughly enjoy the trail.

Starting in March will give you that time.

[a-kettle-of-vultures]

VC TIPS MASTERLIST

@ The anon

Well, for collecting, I cant really help you in finding dead things, they kinda just find YOU. Although water sources in the woods and along main roads is always a good bet if you want to pick up your own deads. If you’re ok with buying from trappers and hunters there is an array of sites to order from. Heres a useful link for buying furs Alternatively, you can go hunt the things yourself - but that seems to be…an unpopular opinion. Its really just up to you.

Collecting Things you will need with you in the car at all times (if possible)

Trash bags\plastic bags\or even a plastic bin, whatever floats your boat. Be aware that corpses left in plastic bags in anything over 70F or 21c (I think) for more than a couple hours will begin to literally melt. I cannot tell you how long an individual corpse will last in a plastic bag in your car trunk, but if its hot, probably not more than two or three hours before it is ruined. Its gonna be gross, man. Do not be alarmed if the pelt gets damp, you only need to worry if the fur starts coming out in huge clumps when gently tugged on.

Gardening or latex gloves I don’t personally believe in using gloves, because there are very few things you can catch from the dead. BUT there ARE things you can catch - especially from raccoons, so, if you want 100 percent safety, and also maybe to feel less grossed out, bring these.

Knife\scalpel Vulture or not, I think its wise to keep a knife on you at all times   regardless, but you will definitely want one in the car in case you find something pancaked into the road but with bits you want. (IE: the top half might be gone but the tail is good, or the back half is gone but the head is good.). The knife should be sharp….derp.

Hedge clippers In case the knife doesn’t cut it or you find  deer or coyote you cant fit in your car. Pro tip - try to find the joints to make chopping less of a hassle

Air fresheners\febreeze\ anything you want to keep the car fresh Even if you keep it in a bin or bag - the smell WILL linger. I didn’t notice it, but other people sure as shit did - and they didn’t like it.

Theres probably more things Im missing, but this is just my personal list.

Processing

If you want the skin - I recommend watching some skinning videos , not only will it prep you for the gore, but in general they are very helpful.

Key words for vids you WILL need at some point - Fleshing. Fleshing is very important. This will probably take up a lot of your time tbh. It does mine anyway…

Once skinned and fleshed you need to put a generous amount of salt on the skin…like..an entire layer. Make it look like Christmas morning. The salt will get all mushy and eventually hrden as it dries the skin out. Replace the salt daily. When the skin is dry and kinda stiff - and the salt isnt getting mushy anymore. You’re done with salting phase.

Tumblr Skinning links

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/162449711340/want-to-get-into-tanning-but-dont-have-the-time

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/159724525615/what-would-you-suggest-for-materials-for-a-first

Skinning out a coyote foot

Tumblr Taxidermy tips

Prepping a face for taxidermy

Reshaping  face

Mounting a face

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/136429479200/knuxtiger4-new-years-started-off-well-when-it

Tumblr Tanning links

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/162774696970/i-have-a-squirrel-hide-that-was-tanned-using-the

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/155639675180/excuse-me-but-would-you-happen-to-have-any

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/143505520810/hide-tanning-methods-pros-and-cons

Brain tanning

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/137298183735/hello-i-recently-skinned-a-mouse-and-ive-kept

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/136238239250/hey-sorry-for-this-question-but-i-havent-been

Processing for bones

Maceration: When you put the corpse in a plastic bag in the sun - or in a bucket or bin of warm water to melt down for bones. In either case you will want t make sure it is somewhere dogs will not get it. If you use a bucket, make sure to put a lid on top of it. This is the most effective way, but also the most smelly…Like…its bad. Its terrible. Chew some gum or a mint or just dont breathe around it, because its the worst thing ever.

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/162182840065/tips-i-havent-seen-mentioned-maceration-edition

Burial - You can just wrap it in a sheet or whatever and bury it outside, or in a pot. May take a while, but its the least smelly, most discreet and you can care for flowers while the corpse rots down =3 If you want articulate the bones - or put them back together to form a complete skeleton later. Cut the corpse into sections and wrap them individually (again a sheet is best, but certain wire works too)

Open pit - This was my preferred method - Some bones get stolen but, eh. You just dig a hole and pile your body in there on top of a sheet or trash bag. Make sure to secure it by putting wire on top and weighing it down with dirt on the edges, or rocks. You can put leaves over top of this if you want to help the smell.

simmering or boiling - NOT RECOMMENDED. You put the parts in a pan or crock pot of water you will never be using outside of gross stuff ever again.I hear this is easier with a crock pot. Supposedly this is by far the fastest way - but youre very likely to ruin  the bones. You just…set the crock pot to simmer or boil the bones

Dermestids - You can get yourself an aquarium and fill it with corpse eating beetles! They require some basic tips and care sheets, but they dont seem difficult. The most worrisome thing is - that if they escape they may eat your collection…This is the most effective and safe way imo, but it can take time - and also you have to care for beetles.

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/163741647780/do-you-know-of-any-pets-insects-that-live-longer

If you have bones but they're a little dirty (dirt, grease, stains) and you ant them pearly white, you will want to soak them in a tin can, glass jar, or plastic tub with peroxide. Skulls will float, find a way to weigh them down (stuff em with beads, rocks, whatever. Tie a string to a rock then to the skull and let it sink. Arrange ther bones in a teepee or wedge to make them hold the skull down.

DO NOT USE BLEACH. UNLESS YOU WANT BONE DUST, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU WILL BE GETTING IN THE END. IT MIGHT TAKES WEEKS, IT MIGHT TAKE YEARS, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BAD TIME.

If you mess up, its ok, this might help.

I advise cleaning the skull separate from other bones. ANd I recommend cleaning the teeth separate so you risk losing them less.

Dying bones

You can dye bones by boiling various plant leaves and berries with salt. Pokeberries make a deep purple-red, rose petals vary - the red makes a sort of maroon....ect - just experiment.

How to tell if the plant\berry can be boiled of its color - take a petal or part and rub it between your thumb and fore-finger, if it bleeds on you - it can make a dye. (at least in my experience.)

Crystalizing bones

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/155195761070/hey-i-saw-that-you-specialize-in-crystallization

http://a-kettle-of-vultures.tumblr.com/post/155154295705/diy-crystallization-with-borax

Dry preserving

Much like  wet preservation, but you drop the body part \ small animal into formalin or alcohol for a month or two and then take it out and let it mummify. Idk a terrible bunch about this - I just stuck things in a box and forgot abut them for months on end...probably not the best idea...I have some regrets.

Example and some tips:

Uuuuuh, I feel like im missing stuff, but, I did my best. Here have some ref links.

Misc Ref so you can see how traps work in case thats something you worry about

Making rawhide

Reshaping a face

The MBTA in case you live in the US

All birds UNPROTECTED by the MBTA in the US

How to tell if a skull is bleached

How to pack frozen deads to ship to others

Sorry this got kind of lenghty, and linked to a lot of other posts rather than TLDR giving my own takes, but all of these links have been insanely helpful to me at some point or other and they do a great job of walking through the processes imo =3. I hope this helps.

Feel free to IM me if you have a link you want added to this post

[reddirtramblings]

February has decided it’s March, and so the late winter season waltzes on into spring. Many years ago, I read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott, wherein Lamott’s father told her the only way to accomplish anything–including writing a book–was “bird by bird.” So, as I do my garden chores, I will do them bit by bit, bed by bed, or bird by bird. Bird by bird sounds much more pleasant, doesn’t it?

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott.

I could wait until March to do many of these garden chores. We will have more cold weather, but my garden broke dormancy and is growing whether I like it or not. I might as well get ahead of the game.

[bctt tweet=”I could wait until March to do many of these garden chores. We will have more cold weather, but my garden broke dormancy and is growing whether I like it or not. I might as well get ahead of the game.” username=”reddirtramblin”]

Let’s get started:

Clear away dead perennial foliage. My garden is mostly perennial plants. I leave their dead stems remaining all winter partly because small pollinators and other native insects overwinter in the hollow stalks. The other reason I wait? I’m lazy. There it is. As I take debris to the compost pile, I leave it mostly intact for the pollinators to emerge when they’re ready.

Cut off seed heads from ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea. Before you trim back any shrub though, especially hydrangeas, make sure your variety blooms on new wood. ‘Annabelle’ is one that does so you can trim it back as much as you like.

Cut back ornamental grasses. It’s quite the chore if you do it by hand. Many of my friends use a Sawzall like this one by DEWALT DWE304 10-Amp Reciprocating Saw, but I find them cumbersome. I like my Fiskars 23 Inch PowerGear Hedge Shears much better. Speaking of Fiskars, with their help, I’m doing a giveaway next week. Check back for details, or better yet, subscribe!

Ornamental grasses only need care at the beginning of spring. Cut them back and wait for the show to begin.

Trim back hellebore foliage and press heucheras back into the ground. We’re having another 70F+ degree day today, so you’ll know where to find me. I’m working on the back garden where I’m doing all of the above trimming and cutting back. Because the hellebores have ugly foliage, I’ll cut it back to expose the flowers. As I’ve written before, not everyone does this, but our temperatures fluctuate so much in winter, I have to cut off the ugly foliage. That way I can enjoy the beautiful flowers in all their glory. I’m particularly fond of the Winter Jewels™ series of hellebores right now. I bought some at my local nursery last year, and I may run by there this week to see what else they have. I posted ‘Red Sapphire‘ on Instagram this week, and people loved it. It’s a beautiful upward facing hellebore with a scrumptious color. I just went to Bluestone Perennials and bought three, whoops, five more: Helleborus Flower Girl, Golden Lotus, True Love, Rome in Red and Sparkling Diamond. Some of these–I bet you can guess which–are part of the Wedding Party™ series. Actually, Sparkling Diamond is another Winter Jewels™ selection. I’m planting them in a shady area in the back garden. It’s one of the few places I can still expand that has some shade. In Oklahoma, hellebores appreciate the shade of a tree, and like the same spots heucheras do. Heucheras like to heave themselves out of the ground in winter so push them back into the soil. Apply the same procedure for any other unhappy heaving plants. Hint: Shasta daisies do this too.

Hellebore Red Sapphire, part of the Winter Jewels™ series.

Weed the paths, or spray them with horticultural vinegar, or a weed killer if you’re not organic. Those early spring weeds can be prolific so get started now. You can also use a blow torch to top kill many weeds. It won’t kill the roots, though.

Crapemyrtles may look dead while they’re still dormant, but they’re not. Wait for signs of life before pruning.

Wait for crape myrtles to leaf out before pruning. You can cut off seedheads if you don’t have anything else to do–see me laughing here–but please don’t over prune crape myrtles. It’s very hard on them. Some would even call it crape murder. Just wait a bit longer instead so you can see where to cut.

Newly pruned rose from the blog in 2008. Have I been writing this blog that long?

It’s time to prune roses. Again, take your time. Pruning roses is a bit like parenting teenagers. Most of my roses are already leafed out which is way too early, but what is a gardener to do about the weather? Nothing, my friends. Nothing.

You can also plant bare root roses now. I know we’re still seeing Rose Rosette Disease, but I see less and less of it around town recently. Maybe it’s finally blown through. Because I don’t live in a housing development where anyone grows roses, I’m willing to give them a try. I bought three new David Austin roses this week. Two of mine, ‘The Lady Gardener’ didn’t make it last year, so they are replacing them. I bought ‘Boscobel,’ ‘The Alnwick Rose’ and ‘The Poet’s Wife.’ We shall see how they do in my unforgiving garden. ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ planted last year is plugging right along.

Fertilize roses, daylilies and fescue lawn. I ordered Mills Magic Rose Mix for my roses. I like this natural fertilizer a lot. I will also fertilize my daylilies and front fescue lawn with Milorganite. You can also overseed your fescue lawn now. Don’t wait until the weather gets hot.

Sow seeds. You can now sow seeds for cold crops outdoors, and if you have a greenhouse or a seed sowing station, you can now sow indoors too. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc. are ready to start indoors. Lettuces, spinach, beets, chard, kale and other cold weather veggies can be sown outside now. Turnips from the garden are especially good. They taste nothing like the turnips you get in the store. I find cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli hard to grow here in spring. It’s easier to start them indoors and transplant in fall.

Leaves cover every path in the back garden including the one between ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas.

Clear away leaves. I live in a wooded area of Oklahoma because we are east of I-35. My garden is always covered up in leaves. I either blow them away or rake them into compost piles. I also have piles of shredded leaves that I use as garden mulch.

Speaking of Mulch. Use whatever type of biodegradable mulch you like. I use shredded leaves and shredded pine bark on my gardens. I keep my homemade compost for planting.

After I cut back foliage and removed some of the leaves. See the iris and daylily foliage sticking up?

Garden in late winter-early spring.

Okay, you have your marching orders for February garden chores. It’s supposed to be beautiful all week. I’m headed out to cut back more foliage and trim up those hellebores. Want to join me? I could sure use the help.

[bctt tweet=” It’s supposed to be beautiful all week. I’m headed out to cut back more foliage and trim up those hellebores. Want to join me? I could sure use the help.” username=”reddirtramblin”]

February garden chores: bit by bit February has decided it's March, and so the late winter season waltzes on into spring. Many years ago, I read…