Winter Solstice has come and gone but it doesn’t feel or look like it yet. Yes, daylight hours are starting to get a little longer again but who can tell with all these winter storms hitting us here in the southwest? So far my projection of good precipitation this winter is coming true but that was based on a big, no make that a huge El Nino coming in. How big is this El Nino? They say it might be as big as the 1997-98 El Nino and may become the biggest ever! El Ninos affect all parts of the earth differently-some places droughts, some places more typhoons but here in the southwest US they notoriously bring more moisture when they hit us. So while it is in the 70’s on the east coast, it is cold and wet with snow here in Santa Fe this winter.  The trees are thirsty, the plants are thirsty and the ground is thirsty no more. Which is a good thing as we are now out of a long, long, drought that has been going on for years. As a gardener, this is great as mother earth is doing all my watering this winter so far.