How you know that it is finally wintertime in your garden?
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Is it when you no longer hear the sounds of the cicadas in the trees?
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Is it when you’ve raked just enough leaves so that the neighbors are not annoyed that your leaves keep blowing into their yard?
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Is it when a particular type of bird shows up in your garden, like maybe juncoes?
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Is it when the seasonal centers at the big-box stores mark all the garden-y stuff down to 75 percent off and bring all kinds of holiday decorations to sell?
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Is it when you see the first poinsettia for sale, that one with the blue spray painted leaves that makes you want to scream, not because you finally found it but because you can’t believed they actually do that and people actually buy them?
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Is it when you look out and see that your garden is coated in the beauty of the first snowfall of the year?
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Some signs of winter’s arrival are subtle, others are more obvious.
It is 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Just how do you know when winter has finally arrived in your garden?
Now that is just cold, Carol. But a real good indication that it is winter. As if the blue spray paint on the points is not bad enough, it is the glitter spray that sends me over the cliff!
Stay warm!
Frances
Carol, ….and we thought 20 was cold! We are having a few weeks of really cold winter, but will hopefully have our back to usual mild winter (weather gods are you listening?). I am not a poinsettia fan and when they goop them up that just makes them worse looking! gail
When I run outside to look (briefly) at the garden instead of walking. It's really winter when I talk to my sleeping garden through the window!
When it is too dark to have a walk about the garden after dinner I know it is winter. It doesn't even have to be so cold. Although it is cold here too. We had another skiff of snow on the ground this a.m. Try to stay warm.
I don't need a weatherman or even a thermometer to tell me it's winter, Carol. For me, it's when I have to bundle up in three layers and boots then spend 15 minutes getting the snow off my car just to get to the library…where I picked up some gardening books by the way:)
Stay warm!
You're pink on the weather.com map this morning, Carol. Hope you have some good strong tea. This is why we cut trees, brings them inside and string lights on them! Happy December.
I know it's winter when the mosquitos vanish (actually we still have some here in Austin).
Julie
I call it winter when the mum and the sweet alyssum give up. Sometimes the first snowfall here comes in fall. Although 13 degrees is another good barometer.
It's winter here when the succulents need to move under the patio so they don't rot from the rain! The word verification is "bless"…perfect for the season!
When its 16 degrees outside (what we hit this morning). Oh and the forsythia has finally given up trying to bloom in fall and lost its leaves and its 16 degrees outside.
Wow, I don't think its ever gotten that cold here. You will hate me when I tell you it is 45F here on the west coast of BC today. Its winter here when we get an inch of snow and drivers can't navigate the roads as they don't use snow tires here.
13 is just cruel this early in December! The chickadees and titmouses (titmice?) are my winter friends now that the hummingbirds and butterflies have headed south…
Dear Carol, I know it's winter when we light a fire in the den and that becomes my favorite spot. And when my mini horse refuses to come out of his stable. Oh, and it's 29 degrees… cold enough, thank you. P. x
That's how you know.
We have summer and winter, nothing in between. Just drizzly rain and in the high 30's.
I'd say that when it is 13 degrees F out side, that is a pretty good indicator!
Although I always find the presence of juncoes as a big clue too. . .