The weather has been mild this year, and sadly no snow yet and I don’t expect us to get any this Winter. My garden has been neglected during the winter months and it is time to clear out the dead leaves and start planting an early Spring vegetables.

The Rosemary bush that I planted last spring has gotten a lot bigger.

The first sign of Spring in my front yard, and I have seen many Spring flowers sprouting and blooming around the neighborhood.

Ornamental cabbage

The broccoli is doing well and I’m thinking about moving the grapes and plant the broccoli along the fence area. I think the broccoli does well all year round because I have seen it survived during the hot and humid Summer months in Grandma’s garden.


My Brussels sprouts on the other hand look more like a tall cabbage. It is not doing well at all and it’s time to give up on it.

I was so hoping to see the sprouts but I guess I don’t have the right climate/soil condition to plant this.

It is also Crape Myrtle pruning time and Bo pruned them yesterday. We live in the city limit and the city sanitation truck will come and pick this up on a trash pickup day.


I received this cutting from a fellow blogger as a gift last year by mail and it has grown new leaves since then. I’m planning to change the pot since it has outgrown this one.

This is the orchid that my sister Bee gave me last year for doing income tax return for her. It is that time of the year again, and I can’t say I’m look forward to it.

As for the snow, I think Lee’s present must have jinxed it. She received a snowboarder as a Christmas present and it has been leaning against her bedroom door since.

All photos were taken with CanonT2i, EF70-200mm f/4L USM lens.






113 comments
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February 18, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Carsten
Europe had a tough winter. Maybe you can wish for some of the beautiful silent snow, but you should not wish for the low temperatures. Brrrr!
Your first photo has a very good mood. Real fine.
February 20, 2012 at 12:35 am
Nye
Thanks Carsten, our part of the country has a mild Winter, and we occasionally get 1 or 2 snow falls per year. I don’t like the low temperature, nice weather and fluffy snow fall will do.
February 18, 2012 at 4:24 pm
truels
It’s been cold here in Denmark the last time. And the two previous years much colder – and for a longer period. I would like to have a bit of your warmer climate here during our winter
February 20, 2012 at 12:38 am
Nye
truels, we have many retirees up North that live here during the winter months, but I think it is nice to live here all year round. I used to live in NYC for 13 years and I don’t miss the cold weather at all.
February 19, 2012 at 1:07 pm
Gerry
We’ve had a mild winter so far – but still winter, you understand. There’s snow out there on this pretty sunny day, and my Plow Guy has just been here scraping my driveway. It’s lovely to see your signs of spring. Poor Lee, though. Maybe the snowboard will double as a paddleboard . . .
February 20, 2012 at 1:09 am
Nye
Gerry, we had some snow today but not enough for Lee to test out her snowboard, I bet it will melt by tomorrow morning. I think it will work as a paddleboard, we have plenty of creeks for her to test this out.
February 19, 2012 at 11:35 pm
So this is snow « Nye Noona
[...] that I have to see it to believe it. And someone must have heard me complaint yesterday that Winter flew by and was kind enough to sprinkle some white snow in our area (whisper “not enough though, Lee [...]
February 20, 2012 at 1:32 am
CN
I do love that broccoli can be grown year around. I wonder if there are better Brussels sprouts for your area. But I wouldn’t mind cooking with the leafs.
The Epi cutting looks good, but I think the skinny leaves means it need more sunlight too. I just noticed that with a few succulents I tried to grow indoor. Eventually I gave up and left them all outside.
February 21, 2012 at 12:29 am
CN
Oops…. I meant “leaves” like spinach leaves.
February 22, 2012 at 12:05 am
Nye
Hi Cambree, I guess the Brussels sprouts leaves are better than nothing. I might try to make Mok Kai with this, hope it doesn’t give off strange flavor and all the herbs should help. I moved the Epi cutting to get more morning sunlight but I think it is not enough. I will move it outdoor when it’s warm enough, I think 7 to 8 months of outdoor should help with the growth.
February 20, 2012 at 1:29 pm
The Simple Life of a Country Man's Wife
it did fly by, (thankfully). wonderful photos!
February 22, 2012 at 12:09 am
Nye
Thanks for your nice comment. I guess you don’t like the cold weather, I don’t care for it either, but I do like to see snowflakes during the winter. I guess that’s too much to ask.
February 20, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Melissa
Beautiful pictures! We had so little snow here in Wisconsin this year…just today I noticed spring bulbs popping up. IN FEBRUARY!!!!! Yikes!!
February 22, 2012 at 12:12 am
Nye
Thanks Melissa. I would expect the bulbs to still be buried in knee high snow in your area but apparently it has been unusually year around the globe.
February 20, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Mikalee Byerman
If I could grow that ornamental cabbage all around my home, I would! Beautiful…
February 22, 2012 at 12:14 am
Nye
Mikalee, I planted them in the Fall, they are the winter flowers for me and add colors to my winter garden.
February 20, 2012 at 1:39 pm
abichica
woooww!!! great pictures, everything looks amazing!!
February 22, 2012 at 12:14 am
Nye
Thanks abichica for your kind comment.
February 20, 2012 at 1:40 pm
MJ, Nonstepmom
I’m worried about what the lack of winter is doing to the new bulbs I planted in fall – didnt get to “winterize”. Great pics!
February 22, 2012 at 12:16 am
Nye
Thanks MJ, the flowers and birds are confused by this unseasonable warm weather, hopefully we won’t get a cold spell later.
February 20, 2012 at 1:54 pm
seule771
Hi,
So very lovely. I stumbled on this blog. I might stop in from time if I remember. I am new to blogging and navigating. I cherish all things Etsy; nice of you to have posted Cambree Botanica handmade soaps and mentioned things naturally made vs. hand crafted which are better.
Your gardening is lovely; a lovely book to have: Odds Lot by Thomas C. Cooper; and Blessed, living a grateful life by Ellen Michaud.
This is what your site conveys upon viewing the floras and wordings. Just my opinion. thank you for sharing.
February 22, 2012 at 12:30 am
Nye
Hi seule771, thanks for your nice comment. I do love and appreciate handicraft items and learned to make things for myself now, it also helps with the day to day stress. I think you will also enjoy reading Cambree’s blog and thanks again for your visit.
March 18, 2012 at 9:28 pm
seule771
All are lovely work. You don’t seem stressful person. You seem very control and at ease. Happy with life, it looks luxurious in fact.
March 18, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Nye
Ainee, only if you have known me in real life. I have a very stressful and demanding job, I work 8-6 most days. The mind does need to rest and I choose hobbies that’s right for me. I have to say that gardening and blogging have helped me deal with my stress tremendously. Life is what you make of it, and photographs look better than real life.
March 19, 2012 at 11:07 am
seule771
Your photos are lovely. But does not depict your life; it shows your life as being easy and carefree. At least that is what comes across to me. And that you are happy to share it with the world.
We say there is difficulty and we have children to give the world and they in turn might encounter difficulty; to me this is wrong. Since the world is so ugly and mean I don’t buy into having children to make it a better place; since it is not for the child but for the parents, it buys them time and excuse to not have to be brilliant since now their children have to be brilliant when they could not.
I am selfish.
March 19, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Nye
Ainee, people are more complex than what we see, it’s impossible to analyze someone’s life based on a few posts, comments and photos. Life is what you make of it and I’m actually a very happy person. I balance my work-life well.
March 20, 2012 at 2:09 am
seule771
Nye, no hatred of you from me. I am sorry for my harsh wording. Things are most bad for me and I forget that no one can help but in fact make it worse with my insistence.
Folks do things to hurt me on purpose.
A blogger you might want to view, similar to some of your posts:
http://marinachetner.com/2012/03/18/abloom-in-brooklyn-ny/
Take care, I won’t trouble you further. No more comments.
March 20, 2012 at 7:16 am
Nye
Ainee, no hard feeling here. A harsh word and negative comments only bring more negativity and imagine if someone were to Google our names or blog names and see all the things we wrote on the Internet. It might come back and haunt us one day.
Thanks for the link and I wish you all the best.
February 20, 2012 at 1:56 pm
The Winter Flew By | Infos Press
[...] Lier a la source: The Winter Flew By [...]
February 20, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Sylvia Alakusheva
I am also a bit disappointed there was no significant snow fall in North America this year, winter has never felt so lovely though
I love your garden, everything looks so beautiful and healthy! I guess the February sun has done your veggies a lot of good. How did you get that rosemary bush to grow so big, mine dies every year
February 22, 2012 at 12:39 am
Nye
Hi Sylvia, I have 2 rosemary bushes and the first one is about 3 year old. The one in photo is about 7 month old. They are very hardy and could stand the snow and frost and we have plenty of frosts in our area. I think our winter must be milder than yours. I actually don’t do anything with them, they must have liked the NC weather and soil.
February 22, 2012 at 9:49 am
Sylvia Alakusheva
Must be
February 20, 2012 at 2:26 pm
the777man
I absolutely love the picture of the Ornamental cabbage! It is gorgeous! I can do indoor plant, but the outdoor ones… I just am not a gardener, unless you want carrots spread clear across the property growing everywhere. Don’t plant carrots seeds in the wind!
Sj
February 22, 2012 at 12:42 am
Nye
Hi the 777man, I’m a better gardener than indoor plant. The carrots growing everywhere in the garden would be a sight, that reminds me to plant carrots this year but I’ll make sure to plant it on a not so windy day.
February 20, 2012 at 2:44 pm
Annie
Absolutely loved your images. Looking at them makes me want to start digging in my garden too!
February 22, 2012 at 12:44 am
Nye
Hi Annie, I do hope you will garden this year and working in the garden is so therapeutic to me.
February 20, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Snapshooter
What an excellent warmth (both in feeling and mood/color) you’ve achieved here. Your photographs are wonderful.
February 22, 2012 at 12:44 am
Nye
Thanks Snapshooter for your kind comment.
February 20, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Sarah D.
Wonderful photos and a beautiful feel to your site. Glad I got a chance to see it!
February 22, 2012 at 12:45 am
Nye
Thanks Sarah for your comment and visit.
February 20, 2012 at 2:57 pm
thefuture2020
I guess Orchids come in all kinds of colors huh? Your land must be really fertile for you to be growing broccoli, i mean that’s the first time i ever heard something like that. You know Broccoli helps avoid cancer in your body right? So your lucky to be growing that -,o
http://wp.me/2aAA8
February 22, 2012 at 12:52 am
Nye
Hi thefuture2020, Orchids are very exotic flowers and they come in different colors and shapes. The Broccoli loves the cold weather and fresh picked broccoli tastes a lot better than store bought and healthy too since it’s organic. I’m glad to hear about the health factor and will be planing more this Spring, might be this weekend.
February 22, 2012 at 4:39 am
thefuture2020
nice, i ain’t know they grew in cold weather thanks for educating me on that -,o
February 20, 2012 at 3:07 pm
The Hook
The winter HAS flown by, hasn’t it?
February 22, 2012 at 1:02 am
Nye
Hi The Hook, I wouldn’t mind a few snowfalls, but then again I shouldn’t complain since I’m only an hour drive to the mountain, plenty of snow up there.
February 20, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Constance V. Walden
I like your photos. They’re so vibrant and hopeful. Thanks for sharing them. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
February 22, 2012 at 1:03 am
Nye
Thanks Constance for your nice comment.
February 20, 2012 at 3:36 pm
LadyT
Cute garden! I love the the photos, the first is my absolute favorite. Congrats on being freshly pressed!
February 22, 2012 at 1:05 am
Nye
Thanks LadyT, the first was taken during sunrise and it has nice, soft lighting. It’s my favorite also.
February 20, 2012 at 3:54 pm
S. Smith
Love the pics . . . and a warm winter!
February 22, 2012 at 1:06 am
Nye
Thanks S. Smith.
February 20, 2012 at 4:51 pm
مُحبة القرآن
Hoping you the best, take good care of your garden ()
February 22, 2012 at 1:32 am
Nye
Thanks, I will definitely spend more time in the Spring and Summer.
February 20, 2012 at 5:06 pm
theyearofwonderfulweekends
I love the first photo – very beautiful
February 22, 2012 at 1:33 am
Nye
Thank you, the first photo has nice, and warm lighting.
February 20, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Aaron Cohen Photography
Beautiful photos! I am a WordPress photographer as well. Great job.
February 22, 2012 at 1:34 am
Nye
Aaron, thanks for your kind comment.
February 20, 2012 at 9:12 pm
studiolightblue
We both blog about the ‘journey’…great to meet another passenger!
Enjoyed your post!
P.S. I love this banner…had it for awhile myself!
We have a lot in common!
February 22, 2012 at 1:41 am
Nye
Thanks studiolightblue, it’s nice to meet you also. I’ve been blogging since 2006 and I’ve never changed the theme or banner, I do love this one.
February 20, 2012 at 9:13 pm
sangjiwa
still i love the frame most than the content… ermmm… cool………. frozen biting without glove
if ihave the opportunity to play snow like kang jung sang and U jin in winter sonata MUAH!!
February 22, 2012 at 1:45 am
Nye
Hi sangjiwa, thanks for your visit and comment, I’m glad that I have more photos than content in this post.
I would love to play in the snow also, I do wish for a few inch of snowfall. Btw, I had to look up who is kang jung sang, nice looking fellow.
February 20, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Kanata Roofing
Ten years ago winter in Ottawa, Ontario used to be cold and we used to get lots of snow but global warming has shown it’s presence here too. Winters are very mild and canal barely stays frozen for us to skate for months.
February 22, 2012 at 1:49 am
Nye
Hi Kanata Roofing, kind of surprise that it’s mild in your area also. I visited Ontario 15 years ago in the summer months, and it was cool for me. It must be global warming.
February 20, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Lulu Simawati
Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground.
Inch by inch, row by row
Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below
Till the rain comes tumblin’ down
Just a quote from “Garden Song”
February 22, 2012 at 1:50 am
Nye
Thanks Lulu for sharing the Garden Song, I’ll be singing that tune while gardening now.
February 20, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Meenakshi Iyer
I loved the pictures! Esp the ornamental cabbage and the first picture!
February 22, 2012 at 1:52 am
Nye
Thanks Meenakshi for your visit and comment.
February 20, 2012 at 11:32 pm
you know that you know
Unusually warm here in the center of the US. If we have a summer like we did last year- I won’t be planting anything new- I will just be maintaining! Too hot!
February 22, 2012 at 1:55 am
Nye
I don’t mind the hot and humid weather, but I hope that we have a good rainfall this year.
February 21, 2012 at 3:02 am
sitiparliahsantosa
What a wonderful pictures. The story is inspiring as well, as I read it I feel that there is a new hope. a new life.
Thank you for sharing it in this blog.
February 22, 2012 at 1:57 am
Nye
Thanks sitiparliahsantosa, life is all about growing and nurturing and gardening is a perfect example.
February 21, 2012 at 3:38 am
jai long
great garden
February 22, 2012 at 1:58 am
Nye
Thanks Jai Long.
February 21, 2012 at 4:06 am
The Dandy Lion
Such an exquisite garden! The first picture looks absolutely breath-taking, as if straight from a fairytale or photography book.
February 22, 2012 at 1:59 am
Nye
Thanks the Dandy Lion for your nice comment.
February 21, 2012 at 4:32 am
W@RichAutumns
I found your blog on a random visit to WordPress. It was listed in the freshly pressed table. Kashmir, too, had a very hard winter this year. You can visit my blog for some posts/pictures related to winters we had this year. It was all snowy and cold – the coldest winter in about more than a decade in Kashmir. That was lovely!
Where do you write from?
February 22, 2012 at 2:03 am
Nye
Hi w@RichAutumns, I live in NC and we normally get a few inch of snow each year, but this year has been very mild. Thanks for the link to your blog, I would love to see a snowfall like that here, we had a few in the past and it was a lot of fun playing in the snow.
February 21, 2012 at 5:05 am
I Made You A Mixtape
Your ornamental cabbage is so beautiful! I want that in my garden!
February 22, 2012 at 2:05 am
Nye
Thanks, they are easy to care for and the best time to plant them is in the Fall.
February 21, 2012 at 5:57 am
gaycarboys
I love pretty plants no matter what form that takes. My garden is full of bonsai which some people like and others don’t. As long as we garden the world is safe!
February 22, 2012 at 2:07 am
Nye
Hi gaycarboys, your garden sounds like a zen place, I’ve never tried my luck with bonsai and do love the look of it.
February 21, 2012 at 7:20 am
Kathy
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed, Nye. I would love some fresh broccoli right now. The gardening season seems so far away.
February 22, 2012 at 2:09 am
Nye
Thanks Kathy, fresh broccoli are the best, we had it last night for dinner. I try to garden all year round, so early spring garden planting will be soon for me.
February 21, 2012 at 7:55 am
Alexandra
Lovely pictures. I could really use some of that whether right now. I’m in London and it is brisk and cloudy
February 22, 2012 at 2:12 am
Nye
Thanks Alexandra, I hope the sun will visit you soon.
February 21, 2012 at 8:06 am
Fiona.q
the red cabbiage is fabulous!!!
February 22, 2012 at 2:12 am
Nye
Thanks Fiona.q
February 21, 2012 at 8:08 am
stevengloddy
The photos are awesome thank you.
February 22, 2012 at 2:12 am
Nye
Thanks stevengloddy.
February 22, 2012 at 11:44 am
stevengloddy
your welcome…
February 21, 2012 at 10:35 am
redwineinchina
should have mulched the branches.
February 22, 2012 at 2:14 am
Nye
Hi redwineinchina, the city sanitation department turn this into mulch and sell it to people.
February 21, 2012 at 10:55 am
@li
These photos are very very beautiful…I like it so much
February 22, 2012 at 2:14 am
Nye
Thanks @li for your nice comment.
February 22, 2012 at 4:40 am
@li
I loved pick photos too! if you want , visit my blog..i m new here but i m going to start to put photos of my city and my travels
February 26, 2012 at 10:27 am
Nye
Thanks @li, let me know when you have your new blog up, I would be interested in seeing your part of the world.
February 26, 2012 at 10:31 am
@li
look here! http://slipperswithheels.wordpress.com
today i put lisboa’s photos
February 26, 2012 at 10:38 am
Nye
Thanks, I can’t read but do love the photos. I couldn’t find you earlier because the link on your name @li was off by one letter, click to see that it took me to the front page of wp.
February 21, 2012 at 11:24 am
Java Girl
All your photographs are lovely! Hope you have a wonderful week!
February 22, 2012 at 2:15 am
Nye
Thanks Java Girl, I hope you have a wonderful week also.
February 21, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Bill
Such beautiful photography throughout! A very lovely orchid too. Here on the gulf coast of Texas on the border with southwest Louisiana, we almost never experience winter, unlike my stay in northwest Arkansas.
Good luck! Live long and prosper, lovely soul.
February 22, 2012 at 2:17 am
Nye
Thanks Bill, and you do the same. We learn to appreciate the weather that we have, and it is nice to have mild weather all year round.
February 21, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Smaktakula
Beautiful photos! Spring hasn’t really come yet to us, but hopefully soon. Congratulations also on correctly spelling Brussels sprouts. Spelling the word is no fun, but more fun than eating the vegetable!
February 21, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Bill
Au Contraire, Mon Frère, they are quite tasty if seasoned correctly.
February 21, 2012 at 6:56 pm
Smaktakula
I must concede that you’re correct, but I take any opportunity for a jab at Belgians, even if it takes the form of invective against Brussels sprouts.
February 22, 2012 at 2:21 am
Nye
Thanks Smaktakula, I have to thank the spell check. Since I didn’t have any luck growing the Brussels sprouts, I have to go out and buy some now.
February 22, 2012 at 9:37 am
theironmancps
weve had snow in oxford
February 26, 2012 at 10:29 am
Nye
theironmancps, it wouldn’t feel like winter without the snow.
February 22, 2012 at 11:07 am
finnegan2749
Reblogged this on finnegan2749.
February 23, 2012 at 11:18 am
supertamad
I love your first photo. Could almost feel the coolness in the air and hear the chirping of some early birds.
February 26, 2012 at 10:32 am
Nye
Thanks supertamad, it’ still chilly early morning in February and unseasonable warm at this time the year that I have seen the robins out and about. You have described the first image well.
February 25, 2012 at 3:52 am
Ashok1288
great shots…..
February 26, 2012 at 10:40 am
Nye
Thanks Ashok1288.