North/South contrasts
November 8th, 2004 by Kathy Purdy · 4 Comments
We had our first snow yesterday. It stuck to the grass but not the road. It lasted until the sun came out. Last night we had more snow and this is sticking. I am sad to see fall end, but I wouldn’t trade our winter for a Texas summer no-way, no-how!! I have to confess, though, ever since I discovered Texas garden blogs, it’s been a bit easier to get through the winter. A couple of days ago, Bill Hopkins of Prairie Point posted a photo of his ‘Valentine’ rose, and it sure is a looker. Helps you remember that life still goes on somewhere else when everything’s gone dormant in your neck of the woods.
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About Kathy Purdy
Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. •
USDA Hardiness Zone:4 • AHS Heat Zone: 3 • Location: rural;
Southern Tier of NY • Geographic type: foothills of Appalachian
Mountains • Soil Type: acid clay • Experience level:
intermediate
• Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY
native plants, gardening with/for children
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4 responses so far ↓
1
Cynthia
// Nov 9, 2004 at 12:39 pm
Yes, we Texans do have harsh summers, BUT oh how wonderful the winters are. Still, I do miss the beautiful fall colors, and I must admit that I sometimes even miss the snow. Then I pull out the pictures of the snows of 1986-87, and that feeling soon vanishes. The rose picture posted by Bill Hopkins is gorgeous!
2
bill
// Nov 9, 2004 at 9:16 pm
maybe my father-in-law has the best idea. he lives in Texas in the winter and drives his RV up north for the summer.
on the other hand he has no garden. to have a garden you have to stay put and that usually means you have to compromise on something and put up with hot summers or cold winters.
3
Kathy
// Nov 10, 2004 at 10:58 am
Yes, there are plenty of snowbirds here, as well. I think it is easier to live in the North and go south for the winter, because here, in the winter, there is no doubt that nothing is growing. You can leave and come back and nothing will have changed. (Nothing obvious at least, some plants do grow slowly under the snow, but you can’t see them anyway.) We are not a traveling family, but I have always thought it would be nice to visit my relatives near Washington D.C. when they have spring but we do not. A week would be enough of a tonic to help me through the remainder of our winter.
4
Hugh
// Nov 30, 2004 at 6:52 am
Since I live on the south coast in England, I avoid the extremes of heat and cold but, by the time we get to a dull and dreary February, I can’t wait to get away for a week in the sun.