January Sky
Nature paints her canvas with clouds.
Cirrocumulus, Cirrus, and Altostratus layer the sky looking south from one of the high points of the hollow. Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s The Cloudspotter’s Guide, The Science, History and Culture of Clouds is teaching me as I re-read it over the years how to look at the sky.
It’s changing all the time and its face is open for all who will look up to see.
January in the Garden – Cleaned up the asparagus patch and all the old marigolds in the upper bed with a nice little bonfire the other evening. Will rake out the nitrogen ash and add more wood ashes for March peas. The rest of the winter wood ashes will go on the lilacs and boxwood. We’re abandoning the old compost heap (too far away and overtaken by walnut trees) and beginning to sheet compost inside the vegetable garden fence. Planted about 150 tulips just after the first of the year mostly the lovely classic white ‘Maureen’. (November would have been ideal but if bulbs are firm and healthy, get them in the ground no matter how late.) If you can protect them from deer, tulips are wonderful for cutting. They supplement John’s flowers up at Carr’s Hill since we’re about two weeks behind the city out here in the hollow.