Winter wasted no time in securing its season. Arriving in early December with a fury of wind and below average temperatures, many of us were left with garden tasks left undone. I certainly didn't finish all that I had planned and I'm a wimp for not putting on coveralls and getting out there. I'm not fond of working outside when the ground is frozen solid, that work will have to wait. I have spent a lot of time reading. There have been some very interesting bits of information that have come my way. A few of these I would like to share.

The biggest news for gardeners (and non-gardeners), are the stink bugs. Those vile, stinky invaders that have entered our homes and massed themselves into random nooks and crannies. A little research on the internet reveals their Chinese origins and proper name of brown marmorated stink bug. Our invading populations originated in Allentown, PA and have spread rapidly through out the mid-Atlantic states. Another, separate mass is moving through the northwestern states. They have come into our homes to over winter and supposedly will not feed during the winter months, their only mouth part is a proboscis that is folded under their body. As temperatures rise in spring, they will swarm in our homes, looking for ways to exit. Once outside, they pierce fruit and leaves, sucking up plant juices. Their targeted plants seem widespread. Apple, peach and vegetable growers seem most concerned about blemishes in fruit and potential for secondary damage from fungi and bacteria as it enters in the wound. We will find a more aggressive anti-fungal spray program as far as commercial crops are concerned. Research to control stink bugs cannot move fast enough at this point. The options from an organic approach are parasitic wasps (hopefully already present), pheromone traps or a product known as kaolin clay. This mineral clay can be mixed and sprayed as a liquid solution around your plants and it will keep the stink bug from feeding or laying eggs. I'm sure it's too early to tell if it really works. The other option might be a vacuum cleaner, which is not a bad idea if you decide to dedicate one for just that, their foul odor will permeate the cleaner. We may have to lower our standards when it comes to perfect, unblemished fruit. Especially at this early stage of the stink bug onslaught.

Now for some good news. Brent and Beckys Bulbs summer catalog is here. You can order on-line, which I encourage. They sell out of tuberose and callianthus (AKA acidanthera or Callianthus 'Murielae', under species gladiolus) very quickly. I encourage everyone to buy locally if you know of a source for these fragrant summer bulbs. If not order through www.brendandbeckysbulbs.com.

It is also time to send away for your snowdrop catalog. Hitch Lyman of Temple Nursery is the one and only source for unusual snowdrops in the United States. Send $3.00 to Hitch Lyman, Temple Nursery, P.O. Box 591, Trumansburg N.Y. 14886 He digs and sends them "in the green" in early April and they must be planted within days of being dug. Another words, don't plan a vacation if you are waiting for snowdrops to be shipped from Hitch. His catalog is a mix of actual photographs, glued and handmade into a little catalog.