Good afternoon! Yesterday morning my part of Oklahoma saw a low of ten degrees, but that’s January for you. I think we can categorize this Oklahoma winter as chilly with a side of snow.
We had blowing snow, and there is a chance for measurable snow at the end of the week.
About yesterday.
Yesterday, I arose and made coffee, which is one of my rituals. This is my very fancy espresso, coffee and latte maker.
My kids find it funny, but since I’m still fume reactive from Alpha-gal syndrome, I bought myself to a high-end whole-bean coffee maker. Whole bean coffee is less prone to mold. Fresh ground coffee makes my mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) happy too. My MCAS is a by-product of AGS.
So, I was drinking my first cup of coffee and planning my day. Meanwhile, the wind was howling outside as an arctic front barreled through north central Oklahoma.
Guess what happened? At 7:30 a.m., the power went out. It was 27°F outside. We have a Generac, but we have been waiting for months for a friend to hook up the propane to the generator and the greenhouse. For the last few years, we’ve hauled 100 pound propane bottles to the greenhouse in winter. The Generac will be a great addition when the propane is permanently hooked up.
I was not a warm or happy camper. When the power was restored at 12:30 p.m., I had already prepared hot turkey sandwiches in an iron skillet over the fireplace, and the indoor temperature was 59°. Despite wearing layers, my pioneering spirit has diminished over the years.
The ice storm of 2020 and the wildfire of 2023 probably have something to do with my lack of country-living enthusiasm. The older I get, the more I feel like Eva Gabor in Green Acres.
Interestingly, we seldom experienced power outages when we were younger. Want to know the difference? Over time, trees grow. The power lines in our neighborhood are threatened by encroaching trees, but no one has addressed the issue.
Bill went to work this morning and promptly called a plumber who will meet him this afternoon about the generator. See how easy that was?
I am still quite cranky as you can see.
Meanwhile, the Greenhouse was 33° because the power was out, and we ran out of propane.
This made me extremely grumpy. Although we hooked up another bottle as soon as possible, I know there will be damage to my plants that I have nursed along all winter.
While I’ve become more resolute about plant survival over the years, this is very upsetting. I have several large succulents in there.
On to other winter garden chores.
In late winter, when it’s this cold—we’re up to 27° now—I do mostly indoor gardening. The extent of my outdoor gardening is keeping the fountains and pond unfrozen and the birds fed.
Indoors, I am smitten with the polka dot begonia, Begonia maculata, I rescued from Walmart last summer. It sits on a corner of my desk in my office and makes me happy.
I also have a ‘Black Raven’ ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Black Raven,’ and a ‘Painted Lady’ philodendron. This philodendron needs a better support to really show off.
They add a whole cozy vibe to my office, don’t you think?
My newest houseplant acquisition is a ‘Pink Princess’ philodendron. I love it. Philodendrons are extremely easy to grow, whether they are the traditional ones or the more exotic.
I bought two 25″ moss poles for my more upright philodendrons. I hope they work well. I’ll let you know. Plus, I purchased a second watering can. This one is made in the U.S.A. and is shown below. I also dig this one because of the shade of green and its shape. Why do I need two watering cans? Well, I keep one in my bathroom, which is at one end of the longest house in Logan County, and the other one stays in my great room. Maybe I’ll buy a third one for my office. At $12.95, that’s how I roll.
I have the fanciest residential coffeemaker in Logan County after all.
Talk to you soon,
Dee, I read this with great interest. I think I need your fabulous coffee machine! And I am now purchasing a second indoor watering can. My greenhouse is not heated but my garage is, so any delicate plants were moved in there. My favorite being my popcorn plant that I purchased in Waco. I’m zone 7b here in north Texas so it needs a little help with winter temps. Snow expected tomorrow and it’s in the 20’s for a few more days.
That coffee machine looks like you need a “coffee engineer” to operate it for you. Fancy! Love the houseplants, hate the power outages, and hope that plumber got that propane line hooked up for your greenhouse!
Dee,
Sorry to hear of your power outage. I think your sandwich making was ingenious. I hope all your green house plants will bounce back.
Gardening is not for the faint of heart.
Dee, you MAY be alright on the greenhouse residents. My greenhouse is run much lower than is recommended, and over the years of mishaps and “bottoming outs.” I’ve learned my collections are much more resilient than commonly thought. There ARE some “pansies” i’ve discovered. Most florist Anthuriums, like the hybrids commonly sold in box stores do NOT tolerate lower temps…even in the thirty’s, and Chocolate Soldiers, (Episcias) just “melt” in anything below 40. As far as succulents, be sure to worry over any Adeniums (Desert Roses) you may have, and I would suggest bringing those wimps inside the house and coax them to go dormant. (I’ve lost too many.) Sooo many other so called tropicals can take the kiss of the freezing mark, as long as it’s not tooo long, and most will weather anything above that threshold, altho they won’t be happy about it. Pothos, Philodendrons, Coleus and believe it or not, Phalaenopsis come through, but most put growth on hold. The OTHER factor you’ll worry about is whether or not yer collections have been acclimated? We worry ’bout that on the other end of the dark season, but it works coming into the coldness, too. E.g.: My Phal’s which I’ve had for a while are fine and some are sprouting new flower spikes. BUT, I placed a new one out there when it finished its blooming about a month ago, before this current cold snap arrived, and it’s already mush…..wasn’t acclimated. Anyway, I think and hope that as the days continue to lengthen (thank goodness) you’ll be surprised in a good way at how little damage you’ll be dealing with, if’n any at all!!
We had two power outages in November due to really wet, heavy snow. During the first one, our whole house generator failed. It’s over 10 years old, and despite following the maintenance schedule a part failed. Before we could get the part, we had the second power outage on Thanksgiving. Fortunately we heat with wood and we have a hand pump on our well. And we had already stocked up on candles from the first outage. Our ovens run on propane, but we needed portable generators for them because they need electricity to ignite. No matter how much you prepare, there’s always some way for something to fail. Still, I love living out in the country. Hope you get everything squared away soon.
Dee-
Glad you have power again and your coffee!
We are one day closer to spring! I’m looking forward to your garden coaching next month!
Gayle?