Category Archives: spring

The Rain, Rain, Rain – Spring Flooding

April 20, 2013springjane

We have been pummeled by spring rain the past few weeks and the river running through our little city is definitely reflecting the fact. The Lot remains mildly soggy this morning (still preventing planting of our cool weather crops; grr!), and the temperature has dipped to about 40 degrees. The almost-blooming daffodils look like they’re melting from the cold temperature. If the rain holds off, I think I’ll poke around to see where water is draining and where it is collecting on the Lot. I also want to take a look at the water run-off to the storm drain on the south side. Then I can look up some plants who do not mind wet feet and can keep contents of the Lot from running into the storm drain system, which empties into the river.

Our neighborhood is a block or so away from some natural wetlands that are looking a bit more full this spring. Some of the larger city parks near the river are underwater. The city is taking measures with sandbags to protect some of the key areas where the river threatens to spill over it’s flood walls. One such area is the water treatment plant. A few buildings downtown are experiencing leaking in the basements, and homes northeast of downtown have basements filled with water. The river is predicted to peak at around 21ft on Sunday.

Here are some photos from around town. The first three are from GRnow.com and the fourth photo was provided to the local news courtesy Judy Schutte.

Downtown Riverfront Ah-Nab-Awen Park Pedestrian Bridge Office Window

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – March 2013

March 15, 2013bulbs, fellow gardeners, springcrocus, daffodilsjane

There are only a few photos to share today for the March 2013 Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. We had a sunny day yesterday on the Lot that caused a few of the spring bulbs to push further out of the ground. A single yellow crocus was in bloom, but I didn’t get a picture of it today. The blossom was closed up due to the overcast skies.

The first spring flower to show in number has been the snowdrops my Other Half so lovingly plunked into the ground in a matter of minutes in fall 2011. We both noticed the little bulbs are already growing in number and spreading. Here they are growing in both a bed directly behind our house and in a bed at the southwest corner of the garage.

Daffodils, a few tulips, and some star of Bethlehem are all beginning to peak up through the ground. The south bed at the front of the house is always ahead and brings a lot of the Lot’s early spring flowers. Hopefully I will be able to share those during next month’s Bloom Day.

Here is a little primrose keeping me company in my home office. It bloomed just in time for March Bloom Day. Outside I hear the first of the Canadian Geese returning from their winter migration. We have lost a lot of our snow, but the weather remains cold which is good. Though it was lovely strolling down the road and seeing trees in bloom at the end of last March, it really messed up the fruit crops in our state. The sudden, late frost killed a lot of blossoms. Hopefully this year we will be able to more naturally ease into spring.

Anything interesting blooming in your garden this month? Make sure to visit May Dreams Gardens who hosts Bloom Day. It’s always a lot of fun to see what other gardeners around the world have blooming.

Spring Pruning – Lady’s Mantle

March 24, 2012pruning, sidewalk bed, spring, spring cleanupjane

Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) was purchased for the Lot a couple of years ago. It wasn’t even in bloom when it found it’s way into our shopping cart and rode home with us. What caught my eye at the nursery was how the slightly hairy, cup-like leaves had caught water droplets. Instant love.

I had read before how Lady’s Mantle is semi-evergreen so the plant should be left alone in the Fall and cleaned up in the Spring. Not a problem. I did just that… Ta-da!

Pretty, huh? After brushing away the fallen tree leaves, I was able to get a closer look at the plant. The majority of the foliage from last season was shriveled up and brown. However, new Spring growth was already growing up from the plant through the previous season’s dead foliage. No matter how much you plea with them, plants will not wait for you.

To avoid cutting the delicate, new growth near the plant’s base, I followed the stems of the old foliage into the plant with my fingers. It allowed me to better see where I was trimming. Then I snipped the old leaf stem off a few inches away from the plant.

Resist the urge to pull off the old leaves. There’s a chance the plant will be torn and damaged. When I was done clearing out all the dead bits, the plant was looking clean but a bit pathetic. It was the sullen teenager, and I was the mom giving it a haircut at home.