Dirt Therapy

We woke up to a winter wonderland this morning despite the weather forecasters predicting that Clark County would get little to none. That seems to be the norm now and I've learned not to rely on their forecasts. There are so many variances and elevations here that it is extremely hard to predict. Most of the snow had melted by the afternoon but snow flurries are falling again as I write this. Last night was Oscar night and we had a nice spread of snacks and desserts. We had some friends over and they brought some goodies as well. This is a cheese ball recipe that is one of our favorites. Pineapple Cheese Ball 2  8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened 1 cup minced celery (optional! We don't include this) 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1 tsp. minced onion 1 tsp. seasoned salt 1  20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup chopped pecans First, make sure the pineapple is well drained. I put it in a strainer and press the juice out. I then p...

While the pots await their new occupants, the mid-February garden is sleeping soundly. It has been cold and wet during the past weeks but we've had two days in a row with no rain and even some sun. Although it is cold out (low 40s for the highs), once you get moving about, I don't notice it unless the wind is blowing. Fortunately, it has not been windy either so I've been doing some winter pruning and transplanting. Looking around the garden, there are some nice things to see - Viburnum 'Spring Bouquet' (above) is an all-season beauty but it is especially stunning during the dead of winter. Mugo Pine 'Aurea', one of our favorites, and we are a bit perturbed that Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps' in encroaching upon it. (On the other side of the fence is Viburnum 'Spring Bouquet', mentioned previously. The pine 'Golden Ghost' ( Pinus densiflora ) continues to stun. I have to say this is one of the most beautiful plants I h...

We woke up to a bit of snow this morning. Not much but pretty... Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy