Right about the first of February, avid gardeners get a little weary of winter and start looking for signs of spring. There may be snow on the ground and temperatures flirting with freezing but in our hearts we know there must be signs that the dark season is losing its grip. The signs vary from region to region. Some of us look for the ice breaking up on the nearby rivers. Others watch for buds swelling on native trees. And of course there’s Ground Hog Day (February 2) when we get a little crazy from cabin fever and pin our hopes on a fat burrowing creature to forecast the length of winter.

There are three signs that I have found to be reliable harbingers of spring, no matter which part of the country I’ve lived in. The first one is the return of the song birds. These sweet creatures are stimulated by the change in day length to move north and start their nesting activities. Here in the south, this starts as early as late January. The house finches are the first to show up at the McCormick Homestead. Ours is a highly desirable nesting spot. There’s bird food my mother puts out each morning (after she feeds her cat and fish), a reliable water dish that gets filled even in the heat of summer, and lots of nooks for small birds to nest in relative safety. Sometimes they try really strange spots to nest, such as on top of the main household circuit breaker box or in the curve of a Christmas wreath I forgot to put away.

The second sign of spring returning is a little more subtle. Around this time I start watching the overnight lows to see how quickly they are trending upward. The daytime highs are more fickle because they can quickly crash when a cold front sweeps. But the overnight lows are more affected by the ground temperature. When temperatures rise underfoot, trees and shrubs start pulling up sap and buds swell. Warmer soil temperatures also trigger seeds that were dormant all winter.

And the third sign? Well, it’s one you’ll only see along country roads. I’m of course referring to roadkill. Sad though it is, a major uptick of country roadkill is a sure sign spring is just around the corner. Dormant animals awaken  with a touch of amnesia, forgetting the road lessons of past years.

What about you? Comment on the signs of spring in your area.

Just about every major book or catalog for gardeners in the US includes a copy of the Zone Hardiness Map published by the USDA. This map is designed to tell you what the average winter low temperatures are in your area so – at least in theory – you will know what will grow in your garden and survive winter. Last week the USDA released a major update to this map. It can be viewed at:

http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

One nice feature the USDA has added is the ability to submit your zip code (top left of the web page) and find your zone. Take a look and I think many of you will be surprised. Since the last map was published there have been some climate changes and the zones have shifted. Here in Fort worth I used to be on the line between 7b and 8a. Now I’m firmly in 8a (average winter lows 10-15 degrees F).

So “Hey baby, what’s your zone?” will soon be a hot pickup line at local nurseries.

How the Internet Began – the Real Version!

In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com. And she said unto Abraham, her husband: “Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou can trade without ever leaving thy tent?”

And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said: “How, dear?”

And Dot replied: “I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah’s Pony Stable (UPS)”

Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums bang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent. To prevent neighboring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew. It was called Must Send Drum Over Sound (MS-DOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures – Hebrew To The People (HTTP)

But this success did arouse envy. A man named Maccabia did secrete himself inside Abraham’s drum and began to siphon off some of Abraham’s business. But he was soon discovered, arrested and prosecuted – for insider trading.

And the young men did take to Dot Com’s trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.

And lo! The land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land. And indeed did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates’ drumheads and drumsticks.

And Dot did say: “Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others.”

And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or eBay as it came to be known. He said: “We need a name that reflects what we are.”

And Dot replied: “Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators.”
“YAHOO,” said Abraham. And because it was Dot’s idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.

Abraham’s cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot’s drums to locate things around the countryside. It soon became known as God’s Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE).

And that is how it all began!

As a member of various garden writers groups, I occasionally get a review copy of a new book. Recently I received from Better Homes & Gardens their new book Herb Gardening. When I agreed to review the book, even though I know the reputation of BH&G, I must confess I didn’t have hopes for anything spectacular. Boy, was I wrong.

I have a large library of herb books published over the last 20 years and beyond. Some are useful for their information but don’t look very appealing. Others wow the eye but don’t deliver anything interesting. Herb Gardening combines the best of both worlds. It is very nicely laid out with excellent color photos. The book also delivers the goods on herbs and how to plant, propagate, and harvest them. Major chapter headings are:

• The Wonderful World of Herbs
• Our Herbal Past
• Our Herbal Present
• Design and Grow an Herb Garden
• Herbs in Every Season
• Herbal Lifestyles
• Herb Encyclopedia

Just a list of the chapters doesn’t do justice to this informative book. Open the book at random and I guarantee you’ll find something to interest you. The book is liberally sprinkled with tips and ideas useful to the novice and the experienced herb gardener. It has earned a place on my “frequently viewed” bookshelf in my office.

Greetings on this mild Texas morning. I’ve been wanting to write you-all but work on my Saturday talk in Illinois took up most of my time. I spoke in Champaign on “Seasoning the Melting Pot,” an overview of the history of culinary herbs and spices in the US. It’s filled with interesting material and I enjoyed immensely presenting it at Herb Day, hosted by the University of Illinois.

Going out of town, even for a mere 48 hours, is always fun for me. I love to travel and see other people’s gardens. Of course, right now in Champaign I saw snow – a foot I think. That’s okay…I wore my winter coat (yes, even Texans have one) packed my favorite flavored teas. Now that I’m back it will be high time to start cleaning up the garden in preparation for spring. Recent hard freezes killed the weeds but left the shriveled remains. I’ve also got some soaker hoses that have become brittle and need replacing. The best time to do this is when the garden is least populated.

After that is done, I’ll be speaking in the Houston area on Feb. 25-26 at the Cy-Fair Home & Garden Show. If you live down there, stop by and say howdy.

Finally, on a personal note, I am pleased to report that my long-suffering husband has – after 2 1/2 years of posting resumes and going to interviews – secured a full-time salaried position. It has a respectable salary, good benefits, and as a bonus is only about 15 minutes from home. We are thanking God for this gift.

In recent years it’s been popular to borrow rosemary from the herb garden and shape it into a miniature Christmas tree. This is really no surprise because the essential oils in rosemary produce a scent similar to pine trees. Rosemary’s natural evergreen shape and dark green needle-like leaves complete the picture.

Beautiful though they are, rosemary holiday bushes often don’t last beyond the holiday season. Rosemary is an outdoor shrub, not an indoor tropical houseplant. The techniques homeowners use to successfully grow philodendrons and ferns indoors will kill rosemary. To prevent this from happening to you, here are a few tips to keep this from happening to your holiday plant once you bring it home.

Rosemary thrives with good light and moderate watering. Place your new plant near a south-facing sunny window. Keep the rosemary bush away from fireplaces or heat vents. These will make the air too hot and dry. Never, never overwater it as this will damage the roots. To avoid root rot wait until the top inch of soil is dry to the touch before re-watering.

When spring comes, it’s time to move the rosemary bush outside. Once daytime high temperatures reach 60 degrees, find a full-sun location for your plant. Transfer your rosemary to a clay pot using fast draining potting soil. The clay will help wick excess water out of the soil and minimize the risk of root rot. Fertilize monthly to maintain health, just as you would other potted plants. Prune lightly, but regularly, during the growing season to maintain its desired shape.

With a little care through the year your rosemary bush will remain healthy and be ready to shine again for the holidays next season.