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Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 0:52
| After the weeks of snow on the ground, followed by days and days of rain; after months of gray skies and and steady chill, last night we got over a foot of snow, and it's still coming down. For the first time in history our daughter will stay home from school on account of the weather. Spring starts in two days, right? We're certainly not feeling it. I think this is winter's last blow, though. The two week forecast doesn't sound dreamy, but at least there's no snow in it, and temperatures will be climbing from the thirties and forties up into the forties and fifties. About time. All those of you who live in actual cold climates--for all my complaining, this is Zone 8--you have my heartiest sympathies and wishes for signs of spring, soon! Melissa |
This post was edited by melissa_thefarm on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 3:27
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Endless grey skies are a downer even if it isn't very, very cold. And, as I recall growing up outside Chicago the dampness makes it feel so much colder. So, you have my sympathy and good wishes for a speedy end to winter! Anne, a refugee from Chicago living in California ;-) |
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| Ha, Melissa, I was waiting for your winter report (not that you are predictable in anything other than that). Grrrr, it is even more demoralising when the southern crew start on the flower posting (I admit it, I am afflicted by climate envy). Having suffered through January and February, it is about time we had a break. In the spirit of (insane) optimism, I sowed my tomatoes yesterday - felt I had to do summat garden related as I am getting fed up with lolling around reading (even though this is my default activity). So, counting down............... |
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| I know how you're feeling. I went off to India for February, soaking up heat, letting winter pass by, and figuring I'd come and get right to work in the garden. Ha! We don't have the snow you have, but I just finished toweling cold rain off four cats. Not good kitty weather. |
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| The unusually wet, abnormally cold weather so far this year is playing havoc with my garden routine. For years, it's been my practice to request a shipping date of late Feb/early March for bare roots, and mid-March to early April for own-roots. The new bare roots now are heeled-in at odd places around the property (that work accomplished whilst swaddled in a parka and wearing muck boots), and I'm moving most of the recently arrived own-roots out of, then back into the garage on almost a daily basis. Groundhog Day has always been my very rigid, self-imposed deadline for having completed all pruning chores. At this point in the 2013 season, I have, at best, completed perhaps half of that task. Pruning in the rain (even a gentle one) is enough to make me want to abandon gardening in favor of an indoor activity. Bowling, maybe. |
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- Posted by mendocino_rose z8 N CA. (My Page) on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 10:08
| Last year it rained almost every day in March and we had some snow too. This year I'm running around watering newly planted things. There are buds that I've never seen this early. I have hopes that my White Banksia will bloom well for the first time in ten years. |
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- Posted by kittymoonbeam 10 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 10:22
| This post on the Fruit and Orchard forums about this year's long winter in the upper midwest touched my heart. I wish I could make the winter stop and let spring come in for both of you. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Blues
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| We're well below normal for temps and above average for snow here this spring. I remember last year at this time it was in the 70s and gorgeous! Of course April got nasty and cold again but....I need spring real bad!!!! |
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- Posted by jacqueline3 9CA (My Page) on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 13:40
| We had nothing but rain in Nov/Dec, and then.... nothing, hardly a drop since. We had Spring for 2 months during Dec & Jan, and now in March Summer seems to have settled in - it was in the 80s (F) twice in the last week. All of the flowering bulbs are up, my ornamental cherry tree is in full bloom - the garden really looks nice, but it is starting to dry out. I have been running around hand watering... we really need to turn on the entire 18 station irrigation system, but that involves checking it for leaks first, which is quite a project. They are insisting it is going to rain in 2 days, which I do not believe, but that was enough to allow me to postpone turning on the irrigation - we live in hope. Sorry to irritate those of you who are still waiting for Spring, but there is ALWAYs something I can complain about, and right now it is our lack of rain. You know that Spring will actually arrive where you are, but if we do not get some rain soon, we will be into our normal 6-7 month drought with not a chance of any until next Oct/Nov. So, I am trying to relax and enjoy the beautiful Spring/Early Summer garden- here is a pic of my cherry tree - the rose in the foreground is Safrano. Jackie
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| I would like some rain, too. We've had exactly 1.86 inches of precipitation, mostly as snow, since January 1. Our dry season isn't very long off, either, but I don't think we ever had a wet season to start with. Annually, we have about the same amount of moisture as Tuscon, AZ. I guess we'll be turning on our irrigation system soon, too, but it's still cold. Had a few warm days, and now it's cold again with some freezing at night. I need to go dig holes for bareroots, and I don't want to. It's way too cold! Diane |
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| We've been getting a lot of rain here in Tuscany,too. It's kind of a bit much, but I can't find it in me to really complain, after two years of drought. I am hoping for enough sun so my new roses can grow; last year was just so awful and dry.It seems like it just goes from one extreme to the other any more...bart |
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- Posted by melissa_thefarm NItaly (My Page) on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 15:32
| Jackie, you're right, of course, and I wouldn't trade, but all the same I really want some sun, and ground that's bare and not oozing water, and mild temperatures: 50F would be awfully nice. By the time it stopped snowing this afternoon we had gotten two feet, which is as much as I've ever seen here in a single snowfall. The good thing is that temperatures were above freezing the whole time, and so we won't get any ice to speak of, and the snow should melt fairly quickly, though the mess will be amazing. My feeling is that spring is lurking behind this curtain of clouds and precipitation and building up a fine head of steam, and will burst forth gloriously when the weather finally gives it a chance. And abundant water in the ground and reservoirs, and plenty of winter chill, are very fine things. Your spring bloom thread did in me as well as Suzy. Your garden is beautiful, and it has survived...how long? It will probably make it through this year as well. I knew I needed a winter activity, too, so I took up the study of Latin, which my daughter started in high school this year. I made a determined effort a few decades ago to learn it, and failed, and that has always rankled. I'm enjoying myself: I do like languages. So I had an indoor activity. But I'm way behind on my pruning, which normally I do through the winter. It just has not been possible this year. Spring will come one day! My hat is off to all you seasoned cold climate gardeners, wherever you live. You are strong people! Melissa |
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- Posted by mariannese 5b (My Page) on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 18:02
| We're having the coldest March in three years (memory is short) but the longest winter in more years than that as it started already in November. Not only gardeners are getting desperate, deer are coming into gardens because the snow is frozen hard everywhere so there is no food for them. I've spread blood meal on their lies in my woodland and it has deterred them from spending the night in my garden. Days are warm with bright sunshine (melting enough ice to make roads slippery) but nights are freezing cold, with temps down to -12C (10F). I took a long walk on a nearby lake today, walking on the frozen snow with bright sun on my face but a fierce east wind from Siberia on my back. Most roses above the snowline are black. We are hoping for some clouds to bring milder weather. |
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- Posted by annececilia z4b/N.Michigan (My Page) on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 19:11
| No sign of spring yet here - we've had a tease or two, but it always goes back to cold and more snow. It's snowing and blowing right now and looks to keep it up all week. Sigh. I have *so* much to do outdoors this year, I just need the snow to melt away so I can get started. I really do like winter (and it's a good thing,too, living where I live!) but enough is enough. I usually cut an armload of pussy willow branches to make an "Easter Tree" but there won't be any budded out in time this year. Don't know what I'll use instead so the grand-kids aren't disappointed...everything in this yard is evergreen! |
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