This will wash away a lot of the deep snow cover, but what an ugly mess. And what a dreary day.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Rain, and Lots of It
This will wash away a lot of the deep snow cover, but what an ugly mess. And what a dreary day.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Snowdrops
In the 40s today, some melting, but everything is still buried in deep snow cover.
The snow has receded a little bit under the Japanese maple in the front garden. I saw a couple tiny green shoots... the snowdrops emerging! But I did not get any photos, and the expected snow / sleet / rain coming tonight may rebury them. In the next couple days we expect rain, but also about 1 to 3 inches of snow.
The snow has receded a little bit under the Japanese maple in the front garden. I saw a couple tiny green shoots... the snowdrops emerging! But I did not get any photos, and the expected snow / sleet / rain coming tonight may rebury them. In the next couple days we expect rain, but also about 1 to 3 inches of snow.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Weather Station Demise
Windy, in the 40s today.
I haven't seen the front walk garden since it was buried in deep snow after Christmas. With warmer temperatures and some thawing over the past few days, that sun-warmed space melted, and the poor bedraggled plants are visible again.
The little bun shaped chamaecyparis are misshapen from heavy snow loads. The Birds Nest Spruces are sturdier and flatter shaped and survived better.
Everything is still wobbly and "unrooted" feeling in the soft wet earth; the voles did so much damage this fall. I sprinkled more rat poison in their holes and around the bushes, but they may already be gone from the first application back in December, I can't tell.
The weather station bit the dust. The 2 x 4 pole it was mounted on, formerly a birdhouse pole, broke off at the base and keeled over in the snow. You can't tell here, but apparently the base was all rotted.
It's now in the garage; we'll have to figure out a new arrangement for mounting the instruments.
I haven't seen the front walk garden since it was buried in deep snow after Christmas. With warmer temperatures and some thawing over the past few days, that sun-warmed space melted, and the poor bedraggled plants are visible again.
The little bun shaped chamaecyparis are misshapen from heavy snow loads. The Birds Nest Spruces are sturdier and flatter shaped and survived better.
Everything is still wobbly and "unrooted" feeling in the soft wet earth; the voles did so much damage this fall. I sprinkled more rat poison in their holes and around the bushes, but they may already be gone from the first application back in December, I can't tell.
The weather station bit the dust. The 2 x 4 pole it was mounted on, formerly a birdhouse pole, broke off at the base and keeled over in the snow. You can't tell here, but apparently the base was all rotted.
It's now in the garage; we'll have to figure out a new arrangement for mounting the instruments.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Sharp Tools
Yesterday I finally took all my pruners, loppers and shears to Pfau's to be sharpened. I have tried in the past to do my own sharpening with the small whetstone I bought. I downloaded a video tutorial, I tried my best, but never got a good edge, and the process was awkward.
So for a few dollars per tool, I'll have them professionally sharpened in time for spring. I even took my sewing scissors and garden snips in too.
So for a few dollars per tool, I'll have them professionally sharpened in time for spring. I even took my sewing scissors and garden snips in too.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
What a Time
What a time I had at Mammoth. The scenery and vistas and wild mountain splendor of the Sierra Nevadas was awesome, and the time with both boys was priceless. I skied pretty well!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Disappearance
Snowing again, only a few inches this time. Temps are in the 30s.
The Black eyed Susans have finally disappeared. Only one last seed head barely peeks above the level of the snow. The heated birdbath creates its own salvation in a hole in the snow cover.
Tomorrow I leave for California and a long weekend skiing at Mammoth with Tom and Greg. The weather should clear and I should be able to get out. Can't wait!
The Black eyed Susans have finally disappeared. Only one last seed head barely peeks above the level of the snow. The heated birdbath creates its own salvation in a hole in the snow cover.
Tomorrow I leave for California and a long weekend skiing at Mammoth with Tom and Greg. The weather should clear and I should be able to get out. Can't wait!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Crystal Scenes
Minus 1 degree when I got up this morning, but with the bright sun today it will get into the low 30s.
Everything outside was crystal coated in the bitter cold. Very pretty.
Ice dams and icicles are forming everywhere, and impossible to keep clear. The news is full of roof collapses all over the state.
And more snow / sleet coming tomorrow! Can it be?
Everything outside was crystal coated in the bitter cold. Very pretty.
I skiied yesterday at Sundown, but didn't dress warmly enough and got really cold. This has been quite a winter so far. The Black eyed Susans are just about completely buried, with only a few seedheads peeking above the snow. The birdbath is buried.
And more snow / sleet coming tomorrow! Can it be?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Relax
Icy rain today on top of several more inches of snow yesterday. In the 20s, gloomy and bleak.
Relax.
Relax.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Real Gardening
Sunny and in the 20s today.
I actually did real hands-and-knees gardening today, with pruners in hand! I decided all the overwintering plants on the porch needed haircuts.
So I cut back the dried stems of the butterfly bush and all the sages (the Lady in Red coccinea and the black and blue sages had actually bloomed all winter). I chopped back the begonias in the black troughs, which were finally mushy. I was surprised at how the gaura is green and seems to be thriving. The Angelina sedum is green and growing too.
And the soapwort in the containers seemed to still be growing, but I did cut that back. The rosemary is looking good.
And when it was all done, I watered. Everything was quite dry. Although most plants are dormant, they do need water in winter, just as they would get from winter snowmelt outside. The porch is staying in the 20s at night, and up into the 40s in daytime.
It all felt so good: trimming, cutting back, watering, snipping and generally doing real gardening. And everything looks a little neater now, ready for spring to come someday.
But in spite of doing some real gardening today, I still can't get out the back door:
I actually did real hands-and-knees gardening today, with pruners in hand! I decided all the overwintering plants on the porch needed haircuts.
So I cut back the dried stems of the butterfly bush and all the sages (the Lady in Red coccinea and the black and blue sages had actually bloomed all winter). I chopped back the begonias in the black troughs, which were finally mushy. I was surprised at how the gaura is green and seems to be thriving. The Angelina sedum is green and growing too.
And the soapwort in the containers seemed to still be growing, but I did cut that back. The rosemary is looking good.
And when it was all done, I watered. Everything was quite dry. Although most plants are dormant, they do need water in winter, just as they would get from winter snowmelt outside. The porch is staying in the 20s at night, and up into the 40s in daytime.
It all felt so good: trimming, cutting back, watering, snipping and generally doing real gardening. And everything looks a little neater now, ready for spring to come someday.
But in spite of doing some real gardening today, I still can't get out the back door:
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Snow Damage
In the 20s today, with some sun. No wind.
I made an attempt to go out in the yard and try to dig the evergreens out of the deep snow that is weighting down the branches. The fir by the front door has its lower branches bent down under a weight I can't shovel. The Austrian pines out back are weighted down.
The hemlock looks stripped, with its branches all pulled down.
The little Swiss Stone Pine looks ridiculous, peeking up out of the snow.
So I put on my ski pants, got a shovel and plunged into the snow at the edge of the driveway. It was scary. I sank into snow up to mid thigh. I later measured: that's 28 inches. It is not light enough to swish through, there is a crusty hard layer about a foot down, which is what is trapping the evergreen branches and pinning them so firmly to the ground. It trapped me in each step, and I had to pull my leg entirely out of the snow, lifting it 28 inches to place the next step. It was truly a feeling of being trapped!
I made it out to the hemlock, but it took a lot of effort, raising each foot so high and plunging back down. I finally was able to dig down and free some of the snow and ice bound branches.
But I fear I did more damage. Hemlock sprigs were torn off and ripped up with each shovel thrust. There was no way I could avoid stripping some of the branches.
The little Swiss Stone Pine was freed from snow a little more easily. It's smaller than the hemlock, and not as wispy.
But after that, I struggled back in. Just moving in that grasping sucking snow, up to my thighs was exhausting, and it really did give me a scary feeling of being helplessly trapped. And I think I was doing more damage than if I left the limbs pinned under all that weight. I didn't even try to get to the Austrian pines or the spruces or the poor fir tree by the front door.
What a winter.
I made an attempt to go out in the yard and try to dig the evergreens out of the deep snow that is weighting down the branches. The fir by the front door has its lower branches bent down under a weight I can't shovel. The Austrian pines out back are weighted down.
The hemlock looks stripped, with its branches all pulled down.
The little Swiss Stone Pine looks ridiculous, peeking up out of the snow.
So I put on my ski pants, got a shovel and plunged into the snow at the edge of the driveway. It was scary. I sank into snow up to mid thigh. I later measured: that's 28 inches. It is not light enough to swish through, there is a crusty hard layer about a foot down, which is what is trapping the evergreen branches and pinning them so firmly to the ground. It trapped me in each step, and I had to pull my leg entirely out of the snow, lifting it 28 inches to place the next step. It was truly a feeling of being trapped!
I made it out to the hemlock, but it took a lot of effort, raising each foot so high and plunging back down. I finally was able to dig down and free some of the snow and ice bound branches.
But I fear I did more damage. Hemlock sprigs were torn off and ripped up with each shovel thrust. There was no way I could avoid stripping some of the branches.
The little Swiss Stone Pine was freed from snow a little more easily. It's smaller than the hemlock, and not as wispy.
But after that, I struggled back in. Just moving in that grasping sucking snow, up to my thighs was exhausting, and it really did give me a scary feeling of being helplessly trapped. And I think I was doing more damage than if I left the limbs pinned under all that weight. I didn't even try to get to the Austrian pines or the spruces or the poor fir tree by the front door.
What a winter.
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