GardenStew Autumn / Winter Vent 2014 (Northern Hemisphere)

We visited our son in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving and there was snow on the ground and 20 degree weather. Now, here in Texas the temps are in the 60's and no snow or rain either. It's been cloudy today but still warmer than Wisconsin. It's wear a sweatshirt or sweater when you go outside and use the heater a bit in the evening. I'll be happy with no snow if that's the weather we get this winter.

dooley

 

Well, it's been snowing a good part of the week. It is cold, snowy, and everything is a chore. Even just going to the store is a huge effort ... starting the car to warm up, brushing the snow off, driving down a driveway that is drifted in with snow (Thank the heavens for 4 wheel drive!) Tired of shoveling out the mailbox so I will get my mail. Bringing in firewood, oil deliveries to keep the furnace and hot water heater going (and the bill$$!). I wanted to take a little stroll thru my back gardens the other day, but that would involve waist high snow. My birdbath is completely covered in snow. I can't get to the composter to empty my kitchen scraps pail without strapping on snowshoes. It's a blizzard outside my window right now and I just want to scream! WWWAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!! There, I feel better now ... just needed to vent a little. Here's 2 pictures of my back garden taken 2 days ago ... the birdbath was already covered then. Also a few of winter/summer


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I'd want to scream too with all that snow covering up what would be a beautiful colorful view.

 

Oh Wow! What a difference between then and now! Your 'then' pictures are what my garden wants to be when it grows up.

 

Ok so I'm going to vent now because really... it's February and we have had more negative degree weather than above.... I think our highest was 28F and the snow... come on last week we got 6 inches and the week before that we got 2 feet andeep now we are expected 3-7 more this weekend!?!?! I am worried about mystrawberries surviving this

 

Having lived through the northern winters for 25 years, I truly sympathize with y'all. The only thing good about all that snow is that is an insulating blanket, and the plants under it are protected.
Your winter has been exceptionally hard, but I hope and pray your spring/summer is exceptionally good.

 

I think you are getting all of our snow along with your! For the first time since we lived here (14 years) we have no snow in our yard. Normally there is 2 to 4 feet. I worry about my plants freezing without that insulating blanket of snow!

 

Well, here we go again! Another blizzard with the probability of another 2 feet of snow or more coming tonight and all day tomorrow. The last storm the city of Saint John was declared a disaster area because there was so much snow and could not clear it fast enough. This looks like it could be a repeat. My strawberries are laying under three feet of snow. That is better than no snow on them, as no cover can result in plant loss. I am so ready for spring!!

 

We are under another extreme cold warning today and tonight. I am SO ready for spring!

 

I agree netty we are under a huge warning fkr snow ice and wind chill as well

 

I don't have as much to complain about as some of you folks! Winter here has been relatively mild. We've only had about 20" of snow, which is much below normal. It has been a roller coaster of bitter cold, then warm, then plunging back to frigid. I wish there were a blanket of snow to cover the ground.
SO- my vent is this: Enough! I am sick of being indoors and just looking at my dormant, brown flower beds. Time for spring! We need to get back outdoors, and get back to nurturing our gardens. Let the growing season of 2015 get started!!!

 

It's sunny and milder today. Kay's post got me to thinking about how we haven't had a weather roller coaster this year ... it has been consistently COLD! BUT the good thing is that we have had a good layer of snow the entire winter, which helps to insulate the ground and the gardens. I am really hoping that the snow has kept everything safe and I will have minimal plant loss this spring. (Trying to find a GOOD side to this LONG winter )

 

I'm with you Kay. Enough is enough. And tonight it's going to snow again.

 

Crazy weather for sure.

Here's what we are looking like http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...842d42-c81a-11e4-bea5-b893e7ac3fb3_story.html

Here's what parts of Hawaii are looking like.....silly weather

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2015/03/09/blizzard-conditions-shut-down-hawaii-summits/