I’m sitting on my sofa with the Spoiled Mutt on my lap (which gives the word “laptop” a whole new meaning!).  Outside, it’s sunny, approximately 5 degrees F and there’s almost an inch of snow on the ground.  The sun and snow make the woods look beautiful, but I’m not going to venture out unless I absolutely must.

Not only that, but it’s supposed to stay almost this cold for at least a week – way, way below our average temperatures for this time of year.  Our USDA growing zone was recently adjusted from Zone 6 to Zone 7, but this cold is making me question whether that was a good idea (just kidding).

The garden catalogs are arriving… which means I start dreaming about spring (don’t we all?).  But between the voles eating my hostas,  the deer eating my hostas and nearly everything else, the deep shade and the clay soil, it’s difficult to stay enthusiastic.

Therefore, I have made some New Year’s resolutions:

I will accept the critters (not much I can do about them anyway).  Several years ago, I had purchased bobcat urine online, but never had the courage to use it.  This year, I’ll buy some popsicle sticks from the craft section and apply the bobcat urine to the wood sticks and stick the sticks in the ground around my favorite hostas – after donning plastic gloves, safety googles and maybe clamping a clothes pin to my nose.

I will try planting some hostas in containers, which will thwart the Evil Voles, but the deer might still find them.

I will accept that most of my gardens are woodland gardens and plant accordingly.  After years of failure, I will plant more of what really likes to grow in the deep shade and clay soil:  Pulmonaria (lungwort), ferns, hellebores, pulmonaria, ferns, hellebores, pulmonaria, ferns and hellebores.  You get the idea.

I will use more hardscaping such as stones and other hopefully tasteful garden art to add interest and provide focal points. Pink flamingos and gnomes come to mind.

I will use more mulch.  It’s a pain to apply (ask my back), but improves the soil as it decays, deters weeds and conserves moisture.

I will fertilize according to the schedule. This means more trips to the garden center (or in my case, Hasting Plants).

I will irrigate as needed and not just continue to hope for rain.

I will apply insect repellant whenever I go outside. Besides the diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitos (not to mention the itch and aggravation), the last two years, I’ve suffered from voracious biting midges (aka “no-see-ums”).  Their bites itch like you-know-what, take a long time to heal and leave big scars on my arms and legs.  I have to use insect repellant containing picaridin and DEET, which seems to work until I sweat it off.

Thank goodness, last average frost date is only three months away, in the meantime, there’s always Planters Place and the garden catalogs.

Stay Green, Good Friends!