More Winter...

Yet another wave of winter weather assaults the east end of Long Island and outdoor gardening is put on hold for another week. Even the most basic of chores - winter pruning, bed clean-ups, a little edging - are to be avoided for the comfort of the warm, dry house. And I always say, "Thanks God for interior plants, or I would go mad." Maybe a little overstated, but I do pass many a winter hour grooming, obsessing, watering, rearranging and generally fussing over my indoor plants, mostly to the chagrin of my family.

Some in my collection await the warmer days of spring when they will be returned to their rightful places around the property, say back by the garage or in a shady corner.

As the many trees that I have planted over the years gain significant size, sun in my yard is at a premium. Each outdoor growing season it becomes more of a challenge to find sunnier spots to please the sun loving plants.

But I always find a spot, and more plants come home. Luckily, I have access to interior and tropical plants, allowing me to incorporate some more unusual 'annuals'- tropical flowering & foliage plants, palms, succulents, etc. - into my outdoor gardens, in addition to those plants which live their lives in pots & containers.