Janie, Bobert et al,
It's been 50 degrees today but so windy the power has cut off twice. Witchhazel (a wonderfully sweet cultivar from Germany, "Westerstede", that I first encountered blooming in a corner park in downtown DC across from the new American Indian museum) and snowdrops are in full bloom, daffs plus the few species tulips the squirrels haven't destroyed (the Ro-Pel apparently wore off mid-January) are poking up their noses, and the first red horns of peony sprouts are also emerging. Too soon for hostas, though. The backyard oriental hellebores are blooming, but not the ones in front, not sure why -- too much competition? Doesn't seem to trouble the H. foetidus. We've only had just enough freezing weather to kill off the dahlias and 4-oclocks -- not enough to trouble the ceanothus or pansies, and even the basil may be OK. A friend sent me seeds of the sicilian basil her grandmother grew -- I have tons of these if anyone would like some; they're pointy-leaved, and sharper in flavor than the taller basils I'm used to, but they make lovely pesto.

Janie, if it's not too late, do you have any poppy seed left you'd like to trade for basil or for larkspur? Last summer I carefully marked the larkspur stems as they bloomed -- I pulled out the pink ones, and the rest are labeled as to whether the parents were white or blue, and I kept the seeds separate -- I only planted seeds from blue in my own beds, but still have plenty left. I also have LOTS of purple-leaf castor bean seeds if anyone needs screening plants for sun or part-shade.

My sympathies with your drought losses, Janie. Last summer's drought in DC (the third year for us) killed a Japanese persimmon tree, several cranberry viburnums and a styrax obassia despite regular watering, and really hit my reblooming irises; borers took a heavier toll than usual, and when the rains finally came in the fall, rot ran rampant. The green beans (Italian purple flat-pods and Kentucky Wonders) were about the only veggies that seemed not to care. I gave up on the melons and tomatoes fairly early.

Plans for this year include expanding the bean/pea garden, growing butternut squash vertically on cattle-panels (last year the compost bin sprouted a volunteer butternut -- who knew the flavor would be so much richer than the commercial squash? It took over a hillside and produced nine lovely fruit, drought notwithstanding.) I got unnamed strawberry plants in a local gardener's swap last spring; they have covered a big section of a bed alongside my driveway -- we'll see what kind of fruit they make.

Guest Guest, you may want to consider planting some potatoes in a half-barrel on your balcony. I used to do this when I lived in an apartment in Indiana. Put about 8"-10" of good soil in the barrel, plant a large handful of baby potatoes evenly spaced an inch or two under the surface (you can mix red and white and even Yukon Golds) and when the vines get about six inches tall, cover up all but the top few leaves with straw mixed with chopped dry leaves or mulch. Do this again when the vines reach a foot tall. The vines will keep growing, blossom (red potatoes have pretty pink blossoms, white ones yellow-and-white flowers) and die back long about 4th of July. Tip the barrel over onto a tarp, and sort through the soil and mulch -- you'll get a crop of marble-to-ping-pong sized potatoes at each level where you covered up the vines.

LynnT