Okay, my panic is setting in now. The winter never really got seriously wintry for long enough to count, and the severe cold that did come was soon replaced with spring-like sun and warmth for days on end. Then there were those March winds in February; and those April showers, also in February.
You can't open a gardening magazine or book these days without reading about home fruit and veggie gardening, and especially integrating food plants in with your ornamentals. Personally, I have not always had great luck with that. Sometimes it works for me and other times not.
We never have a chance to get bored with the seasons here; it is a balmy 77 degrees as I write this piece and my visiting snowbirds are enjoying a last round of golf before they reluctantly return to the frozen north. This has been one of the loveliest weeks one could ask for in January. However, wildly fluctuating temperatures being the norm here, I expect by the time you read this we will be experiencing more typical winter weather and that may be chilly.
We are so blessed in Beaufort County to have the creeks, rivers and sounds with abundant recreational and seafood resources. It is also the responsibility of residents and visitors to be good stewards of that natural beauty and wealth. An appreciation of the natural beauty and water quality is not enough. It takes commitment and lifestyle modifications to really protect the resource.
It’s January, a new year – and new possibilities for the garden abound. While I am not good at resolutions, I am a great note taker, and this is when I make copious lists of what needs to be done and what changes need to be made. Checking off each task as it is completed is as close to a resolution as I can get. One of the top items already noted is to include more plants that attract birds.