Hibernating

We have now decided to skip two Sat. markets due to sub-freezing temperatures. It now feels like everything in our hoophouse has been grown solely for our own personal consumption and pleasure. The effect of the cold weather on our salad greens has been delightful; the taste is subtly enhanced, as if all the freezing and thawing has added a coat of delicate fortitude, barely noticed but as an afterthought.

I decided to save this bunch of anemones, albeit begrudgingly. 40 of our 80 ft of this beauty are producing deformed flowers; I'm not sure if it is the freezing temps or if the fertilizers are all wrong, or if the stock was bad, etc. It has made me want to turn my back to them though, when perhaps what they need is a little love. I will say it is a treat to have some color on the table when it is 24F outside.

All this morning I've been drooling over Japanese apricot trees. A winter bloomer, they would be quite the addition to both our landscaping on the farm as well as to our winter cuts. I'm feeling drawn to them as i am to tree peonies. They both seem to border on the exotic, an added dimension to their beauty. After our house is done, I think we'll finally be able to enter the world of perennials and woody cuts, a much awaited and anticipated step in our farm's development.
I can't resist showing off a few new self-bestowed gift items I can't wait to wear, and the lovely polish pottery piece my wonderful husband got me for Christmas. (I have a slight fetish for polish pottery) Very exciting.