Each Little World

Snow stripes

You don't have to check the weather forecast when snow is on the way. The fact a storm was coming was obvious to me the minute I pulled out of my driveway yesterday. I took this shot of our street through my car window.

Those white stripes you see are a salt brine — a saltwater solution of 23.3 percent salt, according to Madison Streets Division spokesman Bryan Johnson in a local news story. It is put on major streets before a snowstorm if temperatures are high enough to make it effective.

When it is sprayed on before the snow hits, it keeps the snow from bonding with the pavement, so it's easier to scrape off when the plows come through. Our street looks rather rural with the tree canopy, but it is an emergency vehicle route which I assume is one reason why they spray it.

It started snowing some time during the early morning hours and has been pretty steady all morning. I love the pair of snow stripes the weather has created on the bridge that crosses our dry stream. 

The gardening year in review: Highs and lows of 2019

Plants and people, of course, provided all the high points of our 2019 gardening year. The weather was the source of the low points, which seems to be the new normal judging by the last few years. 

GARDEN PEOPLE

The year began with the workshop that I hosted at my house on "recording" one's garden. It was a snowy Saturday but everyone showed up for the morning and afternoon sessions. This event was one of many free workshops offered by members of the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society for other members. I've hosted a few and attended a number of others. They are a great benefit to members and a big "thank-you" goes to whoever thought of doing this. Brilliant. 

We had a number of small groups stop by the garden as well as hosting members of the friends group of the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore who were visiting Midwestern gardens. We ended the summer with a party celebrating 25 years at this house. 

We also had a garden consult at the end of the summer on how aging gardeners should deal with their aging garden. I bought some shrubs at late season sales that I plunked into temporary locations as part of our plans to reduce maintenance. This winter I will need to spend some serous time looking at the garden, reading and planning about how Mark and I and the garden can all happily age in place. 

The first part of that process was to hire Tree Health Management to look at all our trees to determine their health and who should go and who gets to stay. That process is just getting underway with lots of decisions still to be made.

Looking ahead: The 2020 Garden Bloggers Fling will be held in Madison, so I hope to see you in my garden next June!

PLANTS: HIGH AND LOW POINTS

The low point was the plants that succumbed to another bad winter. Everywhere in the upper Midwest, including our garden, saw Burning Bushes (Euonymus) and Japanese Maples felled by the weather. One of our maples started to send out a bit of growth so we didn't cut it down. We'll see how it looks this spring to decide if it stays or goes.

The high point of the garden — literally and visually — had to be Thalictrum 'Splendide' which grew skyward into the branches of a Korean Maple where it put on a show for weeks. 

When this pale Martagon lily bloomed amidst a row of dark red ones for the second year in a row, I moved it to a bed across the garden where it can star instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. I'm looking forward to the result.

PROJECTS: Any project that gets completed is always a high point. Last year we had the electrical work that had been done for the Tsukubai water pot and the pond pump extended to the Tea House. An electrician took care of all that, but Mark was the one who re-soddded the grass feature that surrounds our deck. It looked great for all our garden visitors, though we are not sure if it is going to remain as a long term solution. One more thing to think about this winter. 

WEATHER AND CLIMATE: HIGH AND LOW POINTS

An increase in the amount of rain we typically get in southern Wisconsin as well as more intense storms is the ongoing weather news here. My garden managed to soak it all up and we had no serious problems with water in our basement. But farmers in this state barely managed to get crops planted or harvested because of standing water in their fields; very serious issues for our economy and for our food supply.

We had record snowfalls in October along with extreme cold — all happening when most trees still had their leaves. As a result we have a few trees that never turned color and did not drop their leaves in the usual fashion. A lot of leaves and honey locust pods all came down on top of the snow and wound up covering the garden once it melted. Not the most attractive view at the moment, though our dusting of snow on New Year's Eve did brighten things up.

Now it's on to the next gardening season — at least in my head for the next few months. 

Solstice weekend

As a Wisconsinite I wouldn't dream of complaining about the official start to winter arriving on a sunny weekend with temperatures hitting the 50s. As a gardener, I am a little less thrilled as it is one more sign that we may be about to have our third unusual winter in a row. But when the temp is 56°F. there's nothing to do but grab the camera and document the garden.

There are leaves and honey locust pods everywhere you look. They're half frozen to the ground and are going to stay there until spring. 

If you are looking for "evergreen" plants, I am always amazed at the number of things in my garden that bounce back after being buried under snow and brutalized by cold temperatures. When we got up one morning last week, the temps were in the single digits and barely rose beyond them during the day. This is Dryopteris 'Brilliance'.

Polystichum makinoi

Arum italicum 'Ghost'

Epimedium

Helleborus

Definitely looks like it's going to be a green Christmas!

Is it Spring yet?

It feels like winter has been here for ages, yet we are only at the middle of November. Usually we are still in the midst of fall cleanup with cool but not unpleasant weather. Instead we are breaking records for extreme cold and snowfall, with another dusting overnight.

We're currently at 15.4" (39.11 cm.) of snow for the season instead of the usual 1.1" (2.79 cm.)! Starting tomorrow, we are supposed to get above freezing (0°C) but I am not holding my breath. 

Boo!

Looks like we are going to get the full 5 inches of snow that was predicted. Still snowing and below freezing temperatures. I would not mind if this were the end of November, but October?!! No thanks.

Took these through the living room window as it is too cold to even step out the back door. At least the trees that still have all their foliage have not lost any branches that I can see. They are definitely bowing lower and lower as the snow continues to fall. Tuesday this paperbark maple was dragging on the bench and the deck so this is an improvement, I guess.

I thought I would go out today and try to clear up the leaves that fell in the first snow and serious cold. This is what things looked like yesterday morning. All buried under snow today.

For the second year in a row, all the Ginkgoes in our garden dropped their leaves before they quite turned yellow. 

A break in the weather

The forecast for today's high temperature has dropped to only 92°F instead of 94°F, but it's not enough to draw me outdoors. We're supposed to go back down into the 80s and even a few days in the 70s next week. We'll see if that really happens, but I'm hopeful.

I spent Tuesday evening sweating my way through beautiful local gardens of members of the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society that were open to visit. The next morning I was up early to make a 7 a.m. bus departure for a day-long WHPS trip to Chicago-area private gardens and the wonderful Chicago Botanic Garden. Too hot and sunny to get many good photos but I managed to snap a few to share at some future date. For now, here's Hemerocallis 'Little Grapette' and Lilium landini in my garden after the rain. We've had a little over two inches in the last two days with more forecast for the weekend. 

More rain, and then more rain

Last week it rained five out of seven days. I took this photo through the window during Friday morning's storm. This week began with a similar brief but intense storm Sunday afternoon. It was followed by a milder storm later in the day.

Both photos show our "dry stream" which is designed to direct overflow from the pond during big storms. It worked as designed but the ground is so wet that we had standing water (below) in the stream that took a while to sink into the ground on Sunday. Not a good sign. Yesterday's first storm dropped an inch of rain in about an hour.

From Sunday, June 30 (yesterday) through next Sunday rain is forecast from 30% to 60% every day. We had 5.73" (14.55 cm.) of rain in June; 3.50" (8.89 cm.) of that in the last week (Sunday to Sunday). The temperatures are perfect for growing corn and tomatoes but this rain is disastrous for farmers who are already suffering from late planting due to our wet spring.

Yesterday's winds brought down debris that unexpectedly clogged our gutter. That caused the water to overflow the edge into one of the basement window wells — something that has never occurred in 25 years of living here. Nothing ruined but rather a chaotic moment of crisis trying to protect things as water flowed into the basement; then suck up all the water with the shop vac. Trying not to be paranoid about the next rain which is supposed to arrive any minute now. 

What I learned from this week's weather

Ignore the calendar. 

I have decided that it is no longer possible to judge what the garden or weather should be doing based on past experience. From here on out I need to simply pay attention to current weather reports and hope for the best. April is always a changeable month here in southern Wisconsin. But late snows and frosts may be our new normal, given the big snow storm we had last year on April 18th.

If frost is predicted, I always cover a few plants. But with Saturday's heavy wet snow and possible frost, I covered many more things knowing the weight of the snow could break stems and flatten a lot of tender plants. It was a one-two weather punch, but everything seems to have come through OK. 

The following photos show what I mean about April being a changeable month. 

April 26, 2019

April 26, 2018: The pink Peony and Hellebore from above looked quite different last year on the same date (two photos below).

Stay calm and let the plants carry on. 

I covered a ridiculous amount of plants last Saturday working a couple of hours outdoors while it was snowing. I used 19 containers including a cardboard box to put over plants. I threw two bedsheets and four huge contractor bags over a series of 25 bamboo stakes, mostly covering my tree peony and species peonies. A few kitchen garbage-size bags went over wire cages that were in place to protect plants from the rabbits. And I piled shredded leaves on a few emerging plants.

I've decided it was worth it to cover the Peonies given the number of big heavy buds and the height of the plants. The only Peony I did not touch was still less than a foot high and has already recovered from being flattened by the snow. I covered emerging plants that were new last autumn and not totally acclimated to their new climate having come from nurseries in the Pacific Northwest. But all my native Trilliums, the Epimediums, the Hepaticas, Hellebores and Martagon lilies did not need any special care. I covered the Trilliums because I did not want them flattened by the snow, but the ones that were not covered are just about back to where they were. 

In retrospect, I'm sure that part of the reason I crazily covered so many plants is that our garden is part of a big tour this year. I did not want to start the season with the potential loss or damage to major plants. Now I have to clean up all these containers and get the mud off the bamboo stakes — once the rain stops. Somehow I always forget about all the cleanup from covering plants!

Say it ain't so!

Another box of mail-order plants will be delivered to my house this afternoon. Got a lovely group from PDN yesterday along with bulbs from Brent and Becky. Since it is supposed to rain this afternoon I thought it would be a perfect morning to get them all in the ground. 

The overnight lows have been in the 40s so I figured I was safe to go ahead. Until I checked the weather again. Apparently it may snow 3-5 inches on Saturday and go down to 28°! Usually a late spring snow is wet and heavy but the temps stay above freezing. 

The garden is in full spring mode with Trilliums, Primula, Epimediums and species Peonies all starting to bloom. Ferns are emerging all over and lilies are up a good 4 inches or more. Protecting things by covering them is going to be just about impossible. I'm trying not to get frantic as the weather is always this changeable in April. So I am hoping this will pass us by as most of the predicted rainstorms have done all month. 

I put all my new plants inside these low ceramic pots on the side of the house where I've decided to leave them. That way I will be able to get them into the garage if the bad weather really hits here. The haul includes three kinds of Hellebores, a mini Hosta, and two kinds of ferns.

Back to winter

Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! We did not get the big storm that was being forecast for the Midwest on Wednesday. But what we got was nasty enough that it has me concerned about my garden. Here's a closeup of the fat buds on my foot-high species Paeonia mairei on Tuesday afternoon. 

The same Peony on Wednesday afternoon with an old sheet draped over a plant hoop. The snow was coming down fast, the temperature was down to 33°F. (-16.11°C.) and high winds and freezing rain are next on the agenda. 

Paeonia japonica on Wednesday afternoon. The buds are less obvious in this photo but the plant is covered with them.

With these Peonies up a foot or more, I was worried about damage from the weight of the wet snow as much as everything else. But most of the plants I wanted to protect were too big already to fit under these big buckets. 

There are nice big clumps of Martagon lilies (below), Hellebores and Fritillarias all budded. But they are going to have to make it on their own. Too many plants to protect even if I had a good way to do it. After waiting a year to see all these treasures, I am going to be devastated if this weather kills all these flower buds.

At the same time both Mark and I are well aware that an early or late snow makes the garden shine.

The water is a sheet of rippling black glass and the stepping stones and gravel are warm enough that the snow melts when it hits them. Thus the garden has many more textural contrasts than when it is totally snow-covered.

We fired up the Weber grill (foreground above), set up the furniture and basked in the sunshine and warmth Tuesday afternoon, refusing to believe the weather reports. 

I just went out to check on things and it is so cold and windy I am leaving my crazy plant covers in place for now. Much of the snow has melted and these Martagon lilies seem to be taking it all in stride this morning.