What Makes it Difficult?
Sino-siberian iris, 'Dotted Line' (Lorena Reid, R. 1991). Image from Cascadia Iris Gardens I went outside this morning and it wasn't quite 20 ° F. There's no snow on the ground. The weather has been vacillating wildly between above freezing temperatures (usually with dreary skies and rain) and serious cold. So far this winter, it has been fairly mild. While there have been major snowstorms that have occurred near us, we've landed in a weird bubble once again. Once the cold sets in (like today), it doesn't take much for me to wish for the warmer, sloppier weather to return. I know that the plants I love make use of this cold and snow cover for their dormancy. I try to reassure myself that the newly planted irises wont be damaged by the cold. The blanket of mulch I put down in October should help moderate the wild swings in air temperature. But I wont know until springtime. What makes it difficult? Where did that title come from? Why ask the question in the mi...