Matching Job To Day

We always have more tasks that need attention than we can possibly do in a day.  One technique used to manage that chaos is to always take advantage of the weather conditions so that our work is made easier and more productive.  Our lemon verbenas needed attention to help them cope with the rigors of indoor life.  Bright sunshine combined with south winds to raise the air temperature into the 40's F.  The verbenas needed a shower bath so they were carried outside.  Several applications from the watering can moistened both the tops and the bottoms of the leaves.  There was some concern about the wisdom of wetting foliage right next to deep snow but the bright sun was encouraging.  The plants were left outside in the light winds to dry somewhat before their return to the basement.  A  quick check this morning found the verbenas looking great sporting clear bright leaves.  Both the wind and the water had dislodged at least some of the white flies.  For now the plants are inside near their basement windows.  We will watch the outdoor conditions looking for another day when a cold shower is possible.  If necessary we will enlist the help of some purchased insecticidal soap.   I did a little reading and found the calcium and magnesium present in our water renders our homemade spray ineffective.  For today we were able to do some gardening outside.  Not bad for the middle of winter.