May it be better than 2013.*

The old calendar had the new year coming in March.  This area kept that calendar until 1752 or thereabouts, engendering much confusion in those digging through the records of the day.  I confess that January is not the most natural time to start the new year, even if the sun is beginning to swing around.  Winter is really starting in earnest now, we had an early six inches of snow at the beginning of December, but that was followed by rain.  At that time, the ground was not yet frozen and the grass was still greenish in the field.  Now the ground is rock hard and any hint of late green in the grass is entirely gone.  It is cold, clear, and windy.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for one of my clematis, C. montana ‘Mayleen’, it blooms on last year’s growth so if it dies to the ground….well.  Technically, it is a zone 6 plant, I’m hoping the microclimate south of the house is just warm enough.  It managed last winter, but that was a bit milder and the temperature got down to zero but not below.  The weather gurus may claim that the zone here is 6; but neither the plants nor the weather listen to their pontification.  It is zone 5, the old zone 5.  always has been.

 

*I won’t say it could hardly be worse, because it could be indeed.  All things counted, 2013 was a good year.