I only have two tiny (less than 6" square) pockets of snow left on my property. The temperature soared to a balmy 18C yesterday and is supposed to go up to 16C today. Rain for tonight and tomorrow. GOODBYE SNOW!!!
What's happening in your neighborhood today...
It's raining all week. I'm still battling a flu/cold. argh!
Anemone blanda
I'll just bet you're hoping for a little sunshine :-) No doubt it would do wonders for you right now.
Growin, you'll have to move over to this side of the water, we've been having sun with occasional showers.
ViolaAnn, your temps are warmer tham ours. This is the time of year when the east makes up time and gets warmer than us and everything turns green in now time.
'Shovelling lanws' When I live in Yellowknife, they would get front end loaders to clear off the sand ball diamonds. The banks would be >20' but the 'field' was clear and we be playing.
Here's to warmer temps and no flooding!
Yes, a little sun atleast I could be wandering the botanical gardens taking pictures - sneazing, hacking, sniffling and clicking the camera. MG99, I have seriously been thinking of moving to the island for the past few years. I just need land to grow lots of plants on. I was talking with my friend the other day in Tsawwassen telling him how much hail & rain is coming down and he said, "What - we've got sun!" So close yet so far away.
Heuchera 'Green Spice'
Just got back from lunch..temps are nearing 60..sun shinning into my office window..lordy I didn't want to come back to work..thinking that after the 1 1/2 hr. drive home excercise would do me good so working in one garden each evening for an hour or so would make the work that seems overwhelming at this point so much easier..think I should/think I should?
Flake by wretched flake the snow (now topped with a crust of freezing rain) is melting ... it'll be a bit longer than anticipated .. my great friend is the Gardener/groundkeeper at a local cemetery .. she feels the frost is out of the ground now .. actually they have pretty much done traditional burials all winter ..
HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw a ROBIN today :-) to me .. that means spring is here .. albeit still shrouded in snow ..
~M~
Marilynne..let's hope with high temps and rain by the weekend you'll have no snow.. on Sunday I had several visitors and all told me something metal was coming out of the ground (about 5") and could possibly create tire damage so got out my trusted shovel and dug and dug and dug, at least 2 1/2 feet until I dislodged it and I couldn't believe there was no frost in the ground however, in the back of the house when I did trenches it was frozen..ohhhh it's time to go home
This is what's happening in my front yard today.....finally!
ERYNNE .. Absolutely lovely !!! I learned (last year) on one of the forums .. that Saffron comes from a Crocus .. which is why it's so expensive ... those little guys are small .. but sure are gorgeous :-)
Except that I think Saffron comes from an Autumn crocus which I've rarely seen around here. All in good time, I will have thousands of crocuses like those above and to be fair, I am beginning to see a few poking up around the fringes of my garden. This year I may well have then blooming before the snow goes.
Glad you easterners are getting the snow gone. We here in the west wait until it melts. shoveling the lawn takes away the energy for spreading compost later. Today I shoveled manure all over my beds. No beautiful crocus here yet. Some perennials starting to grow.
Viola ... I am so envious of your impending 'Crocus Explosion' :-) I should have (shoulda, woulda, coulda) planted some bulbs last fall so I could revel in their beauty .. both Crocuses (Croci)? and daffodils or Narcissus make me smile a mile :-) However .. about 4 years ago .. I did buy some bulbs .. most likely from an unreliable source :-( it was mid October and I planted the bulbs in large pots and left them shoved up close to the house hoping that the spring would bring me a bevy of beauties .. ugggggggggg .. nary a ONE showed its wee head :-( I did an autopsy on the pot and found the bulbs had rotted .. so .. maybe I planted them down too far ?
We do get a sweet little flower that pops up here in the spring .. it's blue .. NO idea what it's called .. will take a pic when I see one (at Mays end hopefully).
The morning light is brightening here .. and .. true to form .. I have a heard of deer waiting on breakfast .. off I go ..
Hope everyone enjoys their day :-)
~M~
Sorry for the late response to the Apr 3 posting....
OMG FancyVan - re: the "take-down by cops" As I live in Calgary, I'm stunned....
Soferdig, we're not even close to being the most troubled part of Canada (as a former resident of Winnipeg, I know better lol) and one of the reasons I moved to Calgary is the lessened crime. We're having some "hiccups" because of the large influx of "newbies" to the area, but rest assured - this will be corrected in short order. Ther is a terrific rate of capture and 'taking care of business' here in Calgary with a Low Tolerance for crime. We're #33 for crime & Winnipeg is #3!
Calgary is a Wonderful place to live and I feel privileged to be here.
If only the growing season weren't so short .............. siiiiiiiiiiigh lol
Well I have lived in Calgary since 1981 and in this house since 1989 and I dont recall any other incidents so close to home. I suspect this city is no different from similar size Canadian cities.
One neat thing happened - Monday took the dogs out-guy working next door admiring dogs, loves shelties-ask him what he's doing, is he a carpenter , does he do fences( thinking of needing to find somebody to fix my fence) he say no why, I explain, he says I know somebody who could do that - I'll give him your number. Guy calls in afternoon, can come next morning to fix. OK! Arrives about 9am, talks first with neighbor whose fence was really badly smashed, they come into my yard, I walk out to meet them thinking there is something familiar about this guy, we both realize we know each other, his daughter used to be part of my agility group! By 3 pm he had everything done.
And then the big surprise he only charged me $85 and my neighbor $150.00. That was really wonderful as we both had insurance deductibles way higher than that!
I think part of it was because he told me his daughter always liked me best in the club because I was always the nicest person to her!
So fences all in place! Now if the trucking company would just get somebody over here to replace the phone cable mast and the construction company would get the house and rocks power washed ( dirt/dust from sandblasting concrete sidewalks and steps) I would be all set!
Tallulah welcome to DG! Do I know you?
carol
Welcome Tallulah, think all areas from time to time go through it's own difficulties with crime..I also live in a small village, not much going on but when there is, th entire village knows about it..comforting at times and not so at others..lol
Erynne, it's so pretty..I know I've many surprised sitting under the leaves, took a peak or two last evening and couldn't believe all the green, but I covered those babes back up and will give them more time to adjust to the changing climate..so picked up odds/ends of branches and garbage and called it a night..Saturday I'm committed to making a 4' lighthouse and Sunday I'd love to clean the pond so, will leave the beds for at least another 2 weeks as hard as that may be..
Marrilynne..laughing to beat the dickens..autopsy...lol...you really are involved in the plant life..
Tallulah: just to give you a heads up there will be a mini
round up in Calgary while Ginny (Inanda) is here from Winnipeg: Dates are June21 and possibly 22. Check out this thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/813762/
Ginny is teaching an Iris workshop at the Hort. Society 21 June.
One day we'll have one in this area..would be so much fun..I'd host it but not many in my area...would be nice though..
MarilynneS - I wonder why your crocuses rotted. I've never heard of that before. Did you have the big fat bulbs for the big saucy flowers or were they the smaller ones for the other cultivars? I find the bigger ones appeal to me a lot more when I just want some colour in my garden and they seem indestructible. When they get crowded, I just dig up and separate a clump and spread them around some more - plant them right back into the garden. But the smaller ones, of which I have a few are much more delicate, but don't make the big colour statement. I'll look for and attach a pic from a previous year.
I suspect Marilyns crocuses rotted because they were out in a pot all winter even if it was a protected site. I understand that the pot should be either sunk in the ground or in an unheated garage. I planted some surplus bulbs in pots last fall and then they just got left outside I dont have a garage, the shed would be too cold and the basement too warm. -However I just went out and looked and they are all soft in one pot and lo and behold there are shoots in the other! Who knew! They are sitting side by side . And of course I dont have a clue what they are - cant find the labels!
Well, just trying to get over this flu.
This message was edited Apr 13, 2008 5:10 PM
Jeez Growin .. quite the conundrum for ya :-(
Politics and lots of things do NOT mix .. but FER SURE .. Politics and gardening make very strange bedfellows !!
I hope that the issue is resolved. Seems to me that here in Thunder Bay .. going to the press or a radio talk show we have in the mornings, is one sure way to garner support in YOUR favour.
AS for my Crocuses .. they were the smaller bulbs .. when I dug them out they were 'mushy' .. I guess I felt that since my annual gardens stay warmish up along the house .. it'd work for the bulbs.
Went to a local Garden Centre yesterday ... AHhhhhhhhhh .. a nice place to go to put you in the right frame of mind :-)
I bought a gorgeous Hydrangea in a pot .. bright pink .. am hoping it'll hang tough til after May 15 (that seems to be the magic date for planting here). Also bought some Hosta bulbs that were on sale .. and a few packages of Morning Glory seeds and Nasturtiums seeds too .. I cannot do without Morning Glories climbing up my clothesline pole .. because they attract the Hummingbirds .. as for the Nasturtiums .. well .. the colours are so vibrant :-)
There were Calla Lillies in bloom and Daffodils, Narcissus and Hyacinthe .. I had to completely AVOID the houseplant section as I would have most assuredly left with something else. Right now I am waiting for my African Violets to STOP blooming as 3 of them need repotting .. as does my Shamrock plant and (this'll be a disaster) an 18 yr old .. MEGA potbound Hoya ...
Suns peekin here .. sure enough the HERD (not heard) is mulling about waiting on corn ..
Enjoy your day everyone ... I am cleaning CLOSETS !! AKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
~M~
Snowing here again!
Fancyvan, please tell me it's not heady my way...know we could have freezing rain in the morning but snow..oh no..
Marilynne, isn't it wonderful just to walk through garden centers..Home Depot in the city here was starting to bring in their supplies, I so enjoyed just walking around, dreaming of things to come..but for now, I'm playing at making garden art..
I NEED A MAN!!! don't go there..lol. it's to help me with soldering the copper tubing for my Blue Heron water feature..finished the heron and now need the feature built...all other projects, well those I can do on my own...and I've a list a mile long..
How very disappointing for you Growin..is there any recourse you can take?
Yesterday while travelling through Barrie it was 52 and in the evening on the way home it was 51, nice..this moning passing through it was 38..quite a drop and I guess dropping to much colder temps...but, I'm thankful..it's not white...
So what have you planned for today..I'm basically on my own all day, no work to do, no calls to take, just playing on computer, trying to find some playmates..should have brought in a project..lol
It started to snow about 3 hours ago. Just measured it: 23cm, about 9 inches
Well, that's just not fair growin! What is their problem anyway - are they just feeling left out and sidelined - perhaps someone asked why they weren't involved in this - and need to flex some muscle, or is it that one of their association members decided late in the day they'd like to do this too only to find out that all the plots were already spoken for? Do they really have enough muscle to force the Parks Board to do this? If I were you I'd be so mad I could spit, and I would do everything I could to find out what the real reason behind this was and probably take that to the papers too. I loathe their brand of petty politics and I'd be more than happy to help them bring it all out in the open (insert evil grin here).
Oh yeah...this thread is supposed to be about weather isn't it :-) Blue skies and sunny here at work in London right now, but rain is forecast for the entire region tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday. Sunday is supposed to be drier but cooler again.
No idea if it is heading your way Betty - at the moment it is still here! And apparently it was as much a surprise to the weather man as to us. I hear even the main roads are totally clogged . Fortunately I dont have to go out until late afternoon. Maybe I might walk the dogs since an ex neighbor just went by with his new snowblower clearing all around the block!
SUN SUN SUN here .. but a Northeast wind :-(
Gonna go and try do some pruning as cleaning closets is getting way too stressy :-)
~M~
Soldering is easy. Just use sand paper 1200 grit and rub the pipe where it enters the joint. Then place 'flux' on it and slide it into the connector. Now use a 'small diameter' solder (less mess) and a propane torch. Place your torch on the joint piece and heat until the solder sucks into the joint. It is best to place the solder on the top of the pipe for neatness. Your done.
So funny 'M', I'd prefer playing in the garden to cleaning closets as well..it's bright here but with the wind it's so very cold..had lunch at costco and bought some rubber boots..very fashionable, tiger color and design with black bucklets..lordy I'll look in fashion in the mud this weekend...lol
Fancyvan, sure hope the snow stops for you and that the neighbor with the blower drops in for tea (after of course he does your yard..)lol
Soferdig, thanks for the info..I do a lot of soldering it's just that this water feature which the blue heron (3 1/2 ft. long) will be inserted amongst different sizes of copper, some flexible, some solid with whirly water units on it..quite complex but will be a main feature near my pond...and biggest issue is if I keep the heat at one place for any length of time I might crack the glass..
LoL Soferdig .. if Betty is ANYTHING like me .. ya don't wanna put a propnae torch in her hand ... we have a cauterizing tool on my nursing unit that the dermatologists use on occasion .. I was .. ahem .. examining it one nightshift with another nurse .. suffice to say .. well .. it's a good thing our clean utility room counter is Stainless steel !!
Oh my your Muck Boots sound very Haute Couture Betty :-) if only CROCS made boots !!!
I did go outside .. but my little Westie got bet outta shape because she wasn't invited .. so .. back in I came .. and .. the closet is DONE !! I'm sure the bag of clothes going to the Sally Ann could clothe a small village in a Third World Country !!
Cheers
~M~
PS .. am having fits about re potting my ages old Hoya .. the folks on the Hoya forum are being so helpful .. gotta love Dave's Garden :-)
Got to watch those women with tools..my kids get a kick out of how excited I am on my birthday/Mothers'Day/Christmas etc. to get tools...
Nice piece of glass work Betty! I can see the dilemma that you are up against. Small focused propane burn maybe?
M I have had similar experiences with the electro-caudery. You don't want to start a fire in fat. LOL
LoL Soferdig .. guess that's why I chose to fire it up around Stainless Steel !!!!
Jeepers Creepers!! We are having a HUGE winter BLAST this morning .. actually a BLIZZARD .. Smokey (Master Cat) rolled me outta bed at 5:30am to show me .. 70kph winds and snow .. I'm on call with the police today but am sure I won't get into the city if I am needed (I volunteer with a group called VCARS .. Victim Crisis and referral Service) I doubt I could safely make the 30K trek in. YIKES .. sounds like our roof is gonna blow off !!!!
Hopefully THIS is a 'Sheila's Broom' storm .. she's sweeping out the last remnants of winter .. mind you .. a Sheila's Broom is SUPPOSED to happen in MARCH !!!
On to another closet .. maybe :-)
~M~
Marilynne..you stay in - stay safe..we left home this morning at 6:30 am - what normally takes 1 1/2 hrs. to drive in took us 2 1/2..high winds and heavy rain but luckily no snow..they are suggesting though that tomorrow evening and Sunday we could have a dusting..
Called the gentleman that does my plowing last night to put my name 1st on his list for 2 loads of topsoil..asked him if his plow was off the truck and he said yes as of April 1st..so, would be in trouble in a large amount fell..but that's ok with me, good excuse to stay home..
Tomorrow I'm at a workshop to do a 4' lighthouse..have to follow suit with everyone else attending so where I'll put it , don't know..lol but it's a get together so I'll enjoy..
Then a few girls I know are doing this one with pots so another weekend I'll get one done...always something I want to be doing..lol..never still for a moment...
So with all that being said, doesn't look like there will be any garden cleaning this weekend...
Enjoy your day everyone..I will, office closes at 1pm on Fridays....
Well apparently we had about 23 cms of snow yesterday! But even with a second small dump in the afternoon all the main rods were clear by the time I had to go out at 530. And today the temp is starting to go up and up ( said to be in the 20's by Sunday)
so today the big melt will start! And then we have to be concerned about flooding!
Unbelievable the flash freezing temps and then high temps..Mother Nature sure must have her hormones in a tizzie...sad for those who will experience flooding..
Snow turned to ice everywhere! I'm staying inside until the sun melts it. Looks like a broken/sprained ankle just waiting to happen... By the time the sun's had it way, I'll head out & do some yardwork, planning structures for the backyard lol
Bettypauze - your blue herons are beautiful! Keep up the good work!