Just when you thought it was safe to put away the snowshovels and snowboots comes a nasty storm out of the west. MA in the mountains in Idaho might have been surprised by it, but here on the flatlands, we could metaphorically see it coming a mile away. Before the storm, things were coming up in the garden,Thalictrum/Anemonella thalictroides
Erythronium albidum
Dicentra 'Zestful'
Stylophorum diphyllum
and the Hellebores (here H. niger)
(H. x orientalis)
and Hepatica acutiloba had started to bloom.
All are now covered in a thick, wet blanket of snow.
All are now covered in a thick, wet blanket of snow.While Carol and Cindy may write blog posts in their heads while gardening, I don't, because I sing when I garden (I have very tolerant, or possibly deaf, neighbors). But it's hard to sing when shoveling 6 inches of heavy, wet snow with slush underneath, what we in Chicagoland call "heart attack snow." So I was thinking about how differently this storm is affecting me from how it is affecting those further south, such as Dee in Oklahoma, who was busy covering things up. I, by contrast, found myself uncovering things, such as my Aborvitaes (Thuja occidentalis).
Heavy snow this early in the spring isn't a problem in Chicagoland for flowers and perennials. The danger comes from the snowload on the branches of trees and of evergreen shrubs.
While I was shoveling, I heard a crack. Looking up, I saw a huge branch break off a Boxelder (Acer negundo, Manitoba Maple, That Crappy Looking Thing) and fall into my neighbor's yard.
Heavy snow this early in the spring isn't a problem in Chicagoland for flowers and perennials. The danger comes from the snowload on the branches of trees and of evergreen shrubs.
While I was shoveling, I heard a crack. Looking up, I saw a huge branch break off a Boxelder (Acer negundo, Manitoba Maple, That Crappy Looking Thing) and fall into my neighbor's yard.
Ditching the shovel, I trudged through the snow in the back garden armed with a broom to rescue my young Redbud (Cercis canadensis), which was completely bent over from the weight of the snow. No photo, this was a horticultural emergency. One of my Boxelders had also lost a large branch.
This storm carried a double whammy, there was ice under the snow, making it hard to get all the snow off of the Thujas.
This storm carried a double whammy, there was ice under the snow, making it hard to get all the snow off of the Thujas.
It is almost April, so this snow won't last much beyond tomorrow afternoon. It's just not much fun today. Nobody feels like making an Easterbunny snowman.
39 comments:
No fun~~I am so sorry to see the snow on your lovely garden! Your wild flowers and perennials were lovely. Maybe it will melt fast...and we can once again welcome spring back to the gardens. We had the raining side of this storm~~high winds, hail, rain, more winds, hail and rain, did I mention a thirty five degree drop in temps, but no snow. It feels like February not almost April. gail
You just can't trust Spring! We had loads of snow three days ago, and today has been like summer. The poor plants have to endure rapid changes this time of year.
Katarina
Ice is We are having the cold wind and a bit of rain here. That cold wind a blowin feels worse today than it would have a month ago. It is high time for sunshine and blooms. Bah humbug.
Yikes! Guess we were lucky here but its snowing up north ... we had thunderstorms last night and today is just plain yucky. Your photos are beautiful. Thank goodness you escaped power outages that often happen with early spring snow and ice storms. Wishing you thawing sunshine :)
I'm so glad that branch cracked away from you MMD! Yikes is right! Well, you'll be happy to know that the snow is all melted in my part of Oklahoma, and the sun is shining. Yea!! Spring can come again.~~Dee
Barbara, I had no IDEA it was that bad! Oh my heavenly days! May the snow thaw quickly and the plants recover easily ... and may no further such events transpire this spring!
Oh my! This has been a hard winter for so many, and here I am with short sleeves in the garden yesterday counting the new shoots only to take a gander at the WeatherNetwork to see than familiar snow symbol for tomorrow. I am glad you were not injured by the falling branch! Hopefully everything that was blanketed will bounce back for you! Mother Nature: we are finished with your sense of humour!
Spring is out there. She just doesn't know where to land yet. She keeps teasing us here too.
Oh dear - all those plants waking up only to get covered with snow. Not to mention a gardener getting excited that spring is here - then having to shovel snow! Hope it disappears soon.
$20 if I see an easter bunny snowman on here tomorrow!!!
March is an 'emotional rollercoaster' month, for sure! It's apparently a rollercoaster for trees and plants, as well:-( Up then down, covered then uncovered, etc.- it sounds like a whack-a-mole nightmare!! Hope it does melt by tomorrow or at least before April 1st. That would not be a funny April fools joke if it lasted, would it?!!
Well, your photos are priceless, if that's any consolation! I am in East Texas and we had lows in the thirties last night, but no snow all year. I know, likely no consolation.
Brenda
Oh, bananas! I was going to be flippant and say "Here! Here! Spring is finally here in Ann Arbor!" but (gulp) Chicago's weather usually finds its way here in a day or so. It's raining now but the temps are dropping and... the snow is likely not far behind.
Hi MMD, so it is not the flowers that suffer from that massive snowfall, but the tree branches breaking from the excess weight? Damage to trees is so much more serious, I am glad it did not fall on you out there singing in the snow!
Frances
All I can say............I can't even imagine!!
So sorry :(
But i do like your
Dicentra 'Zestful'
and I look forward to seeing it again soon
K
So sorry to hear about all of that snow. I sure was gald it went south of me. I still have winter snow in my yard. The tulips up by the house are finally starting to peak up through the mulch though.
MMD, I am so sorry I complained about our snow today...it was pretty pitiful compared to this. I was just thinking how your photos look like the ones I took on November 30, the day so many of our pine trees lost branches as well. You can't cover up 40-foot trees!
I am so jealous of those hellebores; I'm sure they know how to cope with this weather. Let's hope the Easter bunny brings us some sunshine and not icy Easter eggs:)
Your top picture is all too familiar to me, both in early spring and in mid-autumn one disastrous year (when many, many trees were destroyed). I know your garden will come out of it looking like a million.
I know, isn't this snow crazy?! I am so sorry to hear about your tree. You're such an experienced gardener to go out there and check, I never would have thought. I hope it will all be well though come spring.
I'm sorry about the Horticultural Emergency! Hope it didn't hurt anything at your neighbor's! It won't last long. I don't think anything's worse for the wear, but then... I haven't been outdoors to look.
MMD, as an avid weather watcher(obsessive?), I could see you were getting a heavy snow today. Ugh! Surely it will melt quickly and your trees and plants will be able to breathe again. But I do see another system on it's way.(Oh no!)
Those hellebores are lovely as is the Hepatica-a new plant to me.
Just keep thinking Spring!
Oh, look at all that snow! We've had some snow chances here in Nebraska, too, but so far, no snow, just cold.
Oh, yuck! Just rain here which we really need. You are right it won't last but all those little emerging perennials are now covered. Nature's fertilizer they say. Keep the faith and I hope to see those plants in person!
Hi MMD,
I'm so sorry to see that storm really dumped on you folks over there! We got rain and snow intermittently all day Saturday but no real accumulations like you had! That doesn't mean we won't still get a whammy but still... after last weekend it's such an insult!
Awww! Very pretty captures!
I hope Spring finds you Soon!!
Cat
Spring is so undependable. That heavy snow is treacherous. I was congratulating myself on getting through the day without a snowstorm yesterday - unlike last year - but we have had bad April storms. I will tempt fate no more.
Spring seems shy this year.
Gail - it's all going to melt very soon. Really.
R&S - this is par for the course around here in spring. Plants have to be tough to last in my garden.
Lisa - it is a humbug, and I couldn't help but grouse a bit.
Joey - thanks. I'm surprised we didn't have powerlines down. You're right, we were lucky.
Dee - we've been cutting the crummy Boxelders after that one broke & fell in the other neighbor's yard last year. I think that's why we didn't have the big stuff in our yard this time.
Cindy - this is what is known as culture shock. It's a far cry from Katy.
Teza - don't you just hate seeing that purple & white on the radar?
Hi, keewee - I'd rather be teased than denied completely.
EG - if the snow isn't all gone tomorrow, I'm getting me a blowtorch or a really big blowdryer.
Benjamin - it would be worth it!
Jan - it wouldn't be the first time we've had snow on April 1, or a couple of weeks later even.
Brenda - you & your garden suffered in your own way. You may even have had losses, while my garden didn't, so I really shouldn't complain.
Monica - look out, here it comes!
Frances - I wasn't singing in the snow, it was much too hard work lifting that stuff. There aren't any trees near the driveway (more's the pity on a hot summer day).
Darla - this must be the stuff of your nightmares.
Karen - I hope I haven't killed that Dicentra, as I divided it just a couple of days before the snow.
Cinj - there's something not right when I get snow & you don't. ;^P
Rose - fortunately, this wasn't as damaging as your November snow. The Hellebores are above the snowline now & seem no worse for it.
EAL - the garden is fine. What I dread is snow after the trees leaf out. That's a disaster.
Rosemarie - the Redbud is vertical again, although it does have a bit more character.
Shady - the branches fell on open lawn, so no harm done except some gouges in the turf.
Beckie - the Hepatica is a woodland/savanna native, the larger & more vigorous of the 2 native species.
Sue - how did my garden get snow, & Nebraska didn't? I just don't get it.
Layanee - the grass I can see again looks a lot greener.
IVG - it's so fun to have the entire wardrobe in the drawers at once.
Cat - thanks!
CW - I try very hard not to tempt fate, especially after I got slapped by it last April.
Nancy - I much prefer a slow start to spring, than the warm earlier with the damaging cold coming later to zap all that premature growth.
What a beautiful if unwelcome spring snow.
What a trove of precious woodlanders and spring gems breaking through! It's great to see a plant close to my heart, Stylophorum diphyllum. Celandine poppy grew vigorously in my Chicago garden. And here, well, it has never died, but year after year only a leaf or two emerge, then disappear. This weekend one tiny bloom appeared. Sort of miraculously!
How disheartening to be on the verge of Spring and then slammed with a storm like that. I think snow is pretty but this is certainly not the time of year to appreciate it.
I like the picture I saw on the news here in milwaukee:
A snowman holding flowers and a sign that said Happy spring! LOL
Vanessa
I guess we were lucky that we only got 3" on Saturday and not so heavy as yours. It had almost all disappeared by Monday. But I am still holding my breath. We've had big snows in mid-April the last two years. I have almost all the same plants up to the same degree as yours — except that beautiful Dicentra. Is it variegated or just looks that way in the photo?
Oh my gosh - what a shame for those beautiful shoots to be buried under snow. Here's to spring returning soon.
Pam - I hadn't really thought of it as beautiful. Thanks for reminding me to always look for beauty.
Hi, Alice Joyce, thanks for visiting. I can't believe there's another Stylophorum fan out there! Nobody seems to know about this nifty plant. I hope you get more blooms from it. Mine tend to spit out blooms all season long after that first flush.
MSS - the good news is that most of the snow is gone, and most of the plants are fine, but there are a lot of people around here with a lot of cleanup to do from downed limbs.
Hi, Garden Designer! I'd pay money to see such a snowman, lol!
Ms. WI - the Dicentra isn't variegated, it's just the back side of the foliage shows up when it first sprouts. If there were a variegated Dicentra, I'd have to have it. Is there one?
HM - it's looking more spring-like out there already. The sun is too strong now for snow to last very long, fortunately.
Hi, Spring came here, maybe that is why winter turned back to you :) It came finally here, so it will arrive to you soon.
Winter is powerful lady and she doesn't give up easily.
I would like to add you to my blogroll - do you have something against?
Cheers!
Ewa - add away. Early April is always a weather rollercoaster here. It makes life interesting.
Just one of the "perks" living in the upper midwest, eh? I hope your plants all rebound okay...maybe an Easter Bunny snowman would help! I must say this is one thing I don't miss about living in northern Indiana: nice early spring blooms murdered by a late snow.
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