(01/09/12) There's open ground across much of the North Country. Temperatures are up above freezing one day, and may fall into the teens or single digits the next. It's hard to get a handle on this winter. But one thing is for certain, fluctuating temperatures combined with a lack of snow cover isn't good for the yard or garden. Amy Ivy, horticulturist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service of Clinton and Essex County, explains why in her weekly conversation with Martha Foley.