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With the latest forecast...looks like we're on track for good Spring weather.

I expect significant amount of snow to melt in the next few days. In areas where snow has melted, I am already seeing signs of life.

I took covering off of my Windmill palm today. It was dripping wet. All those perspiration had no where to go, which means the protection had worked well. I am just a bit worried about how it will react to the sudden changed in temperature and sunlight in the next few days. It's been in almost complete darkness all these time under the cardboard box.

The snow around my Spectabilis/Aurerocaulus has already melted, so I am hoping to see something new soon, hopefully in the next few weeks. However, there is good chance it would just re-leaf this year with no shoots because it was planted last Fall with no rhizome attached. My bissetii on the other hand came with a good amount of rhizomes but much of the plant is still buried under a mountain of heavy snow and ice.

In other news, we just got two new members in our area that really likes bamboo...and they happened to be black and white...and furry.

We're still flat lining here in Hfx.

Warm springs happen here when the Northumberland Strait and Gulf of St. Lawrence to our north stay ice-free. A buddy sent this shot of the Strait near Antigonish this afternoon. Any northeast wind will cool us down even though that ice is 150 km away, Funny that water is the warmest salt water north of Cape Hatteras, NC in the summer but a spring-killer at this time of year. Mind you the whole ice pack can disappear overnight if the wind blows the right way. We need couple of weeks of fog which usually happens the middle of March, nowhere in sght.

After 2 months of cold, if the forecast holds true, we will finally be in for some average temperatures starting tomorrow.

The soil is right around the freezing mark now, but I believe that by May 1st, the scenery should look similar to at least April 1st of 2012. Even though this April likely won't be nearly as warm as March of 2012, I think the longer daylight hours should still encourage plants to start waking up.

We should be getting into the yellow zone in 1-2 weeks.

We've had record low groundwater level last year, severe drought with practically no serious precipitation in almost a year. Everyone said our climate is going to change and we'll have severe drought with cool dry winters and hot dry summers.

From last summer until now, we've only had a couple of sunny days, during winter, we've had snow almost all the time. If it wouldn't melt all the time, we would have almost 3 meters - that's how much fell down in the form of snow, rain not included. Lately, rain never seems to stop and there are villages that will get buried by landslides, groundwater started flooding houses,... Usually at this time, many trees would already be in full bloom. This year only now temperature got above freezing and we finally got rid of snow. Tomorrow we'll have another 50mm of precipitation and then shortly after that, we'll finally see some sunshine.

Everything that should start growing in February or March was delayed and it seems that everything will start growing at the same time. Bamboos are still mostly dormant, but it is clear that Fargesias won't wait when it warms up - branches have swollen buds and rhizome necks are also fully swollen. Some of Moso seedlings are already starting to shoot, but these are more like survival shoots and won't count as shoots at all, but the fact is, despite all the water and temperature around freezing 24/7, they started to wake up. Shiroshima is only a warm week away from branching out since swollen buds are already around 1 cm long. Can't wait to see them all start shooting! Next week will bring daily temperatures to around 10C, night lows still just above freezing. That should start triggering cold insensitive bamboos like Fargesia.

Dang winter...it's just refusing to go away. Grrr...

Seeing how we will be in the 60s and 70s for next week, it looks like spring has finally taken hold this year.

Haha... How many times have we said that before. Just when we thought this is it, we get another dip from the North. That's been the pattern. The temperature would rise steadly...and then reset.

We'll see frost again next weekend in my area. I don't care what the calendar says. For me, Spring starts after the last frost day.

Seen some humor/frustration shown on the weather channel the other day.
One showed the software install "Installation Of Spring 2013...Failed".
The other one shows a snowman lying on the ground stabbed with several knives and read "Die Winter Die!"

I thought that was funny...and really shows how we all feel about this darn Winter that just wouldn't go away.

I'm noticing that some plants appear to be as much as 6 weeks behind the progress from last year while others are only 1-2 weeks behind. I'm not too worried about it because none of my plants are developed enough to sustain frost damage, and my luffas & other plants under the metal halide light are around 1 month away from filling out their pots.

One thing that seems to remain constant is that they seem to keep forecasting a warming trend however the temperatures we actually experience keep ending up below average.



If you are very impatient, and want to see some results, try getting some wall o waters to put around you garden plants. I know it can protect peppers during the light frosts, and perhaps even colder if I close it up.

The west is warming up again. There has been plenty of rain showers at my place for the past 2 weeks. Next week is looking sunny with highs upper 60s to mid 70's

We have had our ups and downs with this April where it seems to go from warm to cold every couple days, but overall, temperatures have been average so all the progress on the plants have been catching up to where they should be.

As they have predicted for the last couple months, they are predicting a major warmup in May. If this really does happen, and our soil temperature warms up above 55F, then most bamboos should still shoot before the middle of the month.

Here's what they are showing now for the 1st half of May where temperatures are supposed to average near the 70/50 mark.

Finally!
Starting tomorrow, we can say goodbye to Winter. I'll bet half a grand on it if anyone wants to take it. (Willing to trust theweathernetwork this time)
It's looking pretty good in the coming weeks.

This coming weekend, I'll remove some of the mulch and see if there's any hidden surprises. Most likely not, but still hoping...
The wait has been agonizing. Any shoot at all is a record. I am looking for my first outdoor bamboo shoot after Winter.

Boy you've had a bad bout of it.

Brrrrrr!! Thank you Alaska for the cold air......

The first half of May was gorgeous here with temps in the 70s and 80s. This last week we've been lucky to get to 60. Looks like today and tomorrow will be in the low 50's.

The news was saying Seattle and Portland were tied for coldest US cities this morning. Boo!

Sorry, just had to rant a little!

About the same here JWH, the price to be paid for being able to grow Fargesia......

8c and constant fog and drizzle interspersed with rain.

Winter was over, but for the past few weeks, we've been soaked with so much rain. So far, none of my bamboos have drowned, but they must not be liking the continuous soggy ground.

The good news is, starting tomorrow till Sunday, we will have a sunny break. I think there's enough water in the ground to last a month or two without watering needs.