Ah spring!
There is an historic snowstorm barreling toward Oklahoma with blizzard conditions already reported in the western part of the state where my friend, Brit’ Gal Sarah, blogs and gardens. Often, the panhandle and surrounding area get much more extreme weather than we do in the central part of the state. However, this storm is so large that we will not escape the snow, nor the freezing temperatures. Some forecasters are kindly saying we’ll have a low of 33F tonight. Others are predicting 20F. That’s not a typo.
I can barely write this, and you, my blogging friends and gardeners, will mourn with me I know.
Meteorologists are often wrong, and as you all know, a degree or two, up or down, can make a huge difference. Let’s hope that this is one of those times. Just in case we do get a late freeze of epic proportions, I’ve written about covering your plants on Examiner, so I won’t reiterate it here.
Daffodils and phlox just waiting for a vase
However, for those of you in Oklahoma, or in the path of this storm, remember, you can’t cover everything. Save only those plants which are the least hardy; your newly planted, expensive or well-loved items like tender shrubs and perennials and climbing roses. The daylilies will be fine. Don’t worry about them unless you already have scapes. Don’t concern yourself with annuals. They are not as expensive and can be replanted. Depending on how cold it gets, even bulb flowers may croak, so cut yourself a beautiful bouquet. The minor bulbs and daffodils themselves will enjoy the moisture and increase in bulb size and number for next spring.
Droplets on daylily foliage
I can tell you that my heart hurt while I was out in the rain taking these photographs, but I still cataloged what I could do. We had one of these really low, late freezes several years ago, and my ‘Zephirine Droughin’ still hasn’t recovered to her former glory.
So, let’s take a final look at spring. The next photos you’ll see from me may be ghostly, sheet covered plants and snow, lots of snow.
Like I’ve been saying all along, I feel certain your garden will come through splendidly.
Dee, your photos are gorgeous and I would hate to see any of that come to harm!
Thank you, Kylee. I’m afraid some of it will be burned, but all is not lost.~~Dee
Feel for you. Keeping my fingers crossed that it isnt as bad as they have predicted.
Helen, I’ll know for sure about the freezes in a couple of days, but the snow wasn’t nearly as bad as predicted.~~Dee
We got down in the thirties last night here. And I’m supposed to go to a garden tour today! I haven’t been outside yet. Almost afraid to venture out to even look at the plants and peaking azaleas. Today’s high is supposed to be mid-fifties. What a weird spring!
Brenda
I hope your garden tour is still on and you enjoy it. Perhaps it only got cold for an hour or two, and that won’t hurt much. So far, we got no snow, but we are supposed to get down to 29F tonight.~~Dee
Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden…. It is sad that Nature will play such tricks on us poor mortals, inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power, striking us to the heart. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
Patsybell´s last blog post..Asparagus Season Favorite Recipes
Patsy, honey, I feel your pain. My garden is frosted with icy crystals this morning. It is beautiful now, but later it won’t.~~Dee
OK – it’s almost MN and I still haven’t decided which plants to cover. It’s now up to Mother Nature and I hope she is on our side! The “PolyAnna” in me refuses to believe we will be burned. Although, I am feeling your angst! Have you heard of anyone putting space heaters around the garden? JK
Hey Debbie, nice for you to comment. We didn’t need to cover last night, but tonight, well, we better. I’m going for the climbing roses, the Japanese maples in front and two of my less hardy roses, ‘Rio Samba.’ They don’t like the cold.~~Dee
Dee, my fingers are crossed that the temps stay above freezing. No snow on that beautiful spring garden!
Pam/Digging´s last blog post..Green roof tour, Yucca Do’s move, & another Austin blogger
Thanks, Pam. Keep those fingers crossed. Big freeze tonight. Dang it.~~Dee
Dee, These freak freezes are heart breaking for gardeners. I always run around gathering my prettiest flowers and cut branches of spring blooming perennial shrubs. So inside the house, every room has spring blooms, sometimes till the spring weather returns.
Patsybell´s last blog post..Asparagus Season Favorite Recipes
Yes, I did the same and covered what I could. The rest will have to fend for itself.~~Dee
Dee, here’s hoping the meteorologists are all wrong and that if they’re not, the snow falls before the temperatures drop. Is this normal, by the way?
themanicgardener´s last blog post..Plant Power: Phytoremediation (Arsenic in soil, Part III)
Well, they were at least partly wrong. No snow. Lots of rain, which is so fine by me. The blizzard conditions being experienced by the western part of the state are definitely not normal. However, a late spring freeze does often happen especially in years of yo-yo winters. It’s why Oklahomans don’t grow a lot of fruit. I just hope the peach crop which is further south in Stratford misses the freeze predicted for tonight.~~Dee
Oh no for both of us. I just went outside and covered my tomatoes with large black plastic containers. We won’t get snow, but it will probably freeze just long enough to burn my potatoes which are too large to cover. big sigh. Stay warm.
You too, Deb. I hope it doesn’t go any lower for you, and that your potatoes are fine. I’m covering mine tonight.~~Dee
Holy moly. I hope you don’t lose your entire spring garden! Best of luck. Good tips on what to cover in case the worst happens. I have a hard time deciding! We had lots of unseasonably cold weather here this winter. Yech.
I may need to consult this post for advice tomorrow!
Katie Elzer-Peters´s last blog post..We Answer Your Gardening Questions!
Katie, it’s happened before. I just pick myself up, clear away the dead foliage and onward I go. Summer awaits.~~Dee
I can see from ym radar map that it is grim, grim, grim where you are. Hunker down, Dee! Spring will return.
Susan Tomlinson´s last blog post..Speechless Spring Friday
Hi Susan, I think it was so warm here that we got rain instead of snow. The poor western part of Oklahoma though. Bad, bad. Yes, spring will return after tonight. 🙂 ~~Dee
I do hope the weather forecasters are wrong. I was just looking at the radar, wondering if we were going to get that storm (no snow here but hail and wind and cold temps). And I thought of you when I saw that big expanse of white in OK. Ugh. Hang in there.
Jean´s last blog post..A New Perspective
Jean, they were at least partially wrong, and I thank them for that.~~Dee
I have been hearing about that storm on the weather channel. I hope the worst misses you Dee. If I were you I would be filling every vase in my house with those beautiful blooms you have. What crazy weather we have had this spring. You have snow storms and the rain is going south of us every time. Geez.
I’m sorry, Lisa. I ended up taking all the rain for everyone. We got inches and inches. When I go out to cover, I’ll check the rain gauge.~~Dee
It’s all breathtakingly lovely so I do hope the forecasters are wrong. We’ll be thinking about you and waiting to hear how it goes.
Cindy, MCOK´s last blog post..Through the Garden Gate: Monday, March 23rd
Thanks, Cindy.~~Dee
Nature is so cruel sometimes. I’m hoping your next post says that the weather people got it wrong.
Indeed, she is.~~Dee
ok, you’ve got me wringing my hands. Wish I lived closer so I could get there to help. xoxoxo.
MA´s last blog post..Gotta get it now: Durable Plants
Mary Ann, I wish you did too. HH isn’t much help in this area. He is very laissez-faire with the sheet coverings. (LOL) ~~Dee
Please keep me posted – I am stuck in Hawaii!
TR´s last blog post..The Buddha Diaries – Travels in Siam, Cambodia and Laos
Tim, that’s just cruel.~~Dee
Dear Dee, I am heart broken for you…we all understand how you feel….we have worried and been there. I haven’t forgotten 2007. Do rush out there and bring those beautiful tulips inside. This is when I wish we had room to stockpile cardboard boxes…they would help keep the snow off your babies. I wish hugs would help. I’ld send a dozen your way….I do anyway. gail
Gail´s last blog post..Pay No Attention To That Man Behind the Curtain.
Gail, it will be, what it will be. Que sera, sera. 🙂 ~~Dee
Ouch! Sorry Dee … your spring garden looked lovely, while it lasted, and I’m sure it will recover. We often get snowstorms here when bulbs are in bloom … I have many photos of forsythia and tulips/daffs covered with snow that bounce back. Good luck!
Joey, it will all be o.k. It’s the freeze that might get it.~~Dee
Oh Dee, I was worried about our forecasted 39, but instead I will be thinking of you now. Your garden is beautiful and so full of life. I hope the storm predictions are more chicken little and you are spared the worst of it. I’ll be taking sheets out to cover some plants and veggies tonight myself. And, in spite of how miserable you must feel, you gave us all inspiration sprinkled with really good advice. I’ll be watching your weather as well as ours.
Diana´s last blog post..Leaf me alone!
Oh, well, now it’s snowing. Snow is only festive in December.~~Dee
Sigh, so discouraging! The photos and their subjects are lovely. Good luck. Thinking of you and your garden!
Barbee’´s last blog post..Reading List Autumn 2008
Oh Dee – even before you said ‘cut yourself a bouquet’ my mind was sending you a message to bring those tulips in for a meeting of the indoor appreciation society.
Such hard choices! Thinking of you…
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Oh Dee,
I am so sorry. Cover what you can and all of us gardeners will send a warm blanket of love and hope toward you and your beloved plants.
Sharon
I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn’t get as cold as they say. Forecasts here are for the 30’s; I just hate it when that happens this late in the season! Just when you think you’re safe, here it comes…
nola´s last blog post..All Hail’s Done Broke Loose
Well, we can only wait and see . . . but it’s now 32F and snowing heavily (Sat. 3/21/09).~~Dee
Nancy’s right. Keep your head down and it will all be slush very soon.
Mind you it’s easy to say that from here where all is sprouting and skipping and springy.
JamesA-S´s last blog post..Waltzing With Fire Ants
Thanks, James. It was here too yesterday, but gardeners and garden are resilient.~~Dee
Oh, I just want to cry! What a waste it will be if all that gets ruined. We gardeners have to be made of tougher stuff than ordinary people, to deal with such losses and just keep going. I hope it is not going to be as bad as predicted.
Mr. McGregor’s Daughter´s last blog post..Take a Walk on the Wild Side
I think so too, Barbara. Thank goodness the Lord made us so.~~Dee
It will be back….someday…
Ah hates snow..!
Nancy´s last blog post..Houston Resources
Uhm, me too, Nancy, especially right now.~~Dee
Oh, honey, when I look at your photos, I do grieve for you. I look out my window at Jim’s fruit trees that have already gone beyond bloom to leafing and know there is fruit there set. I have a barrel to put over my grandmother’s rose.
xxxooo
CurtissAnn´s last blog post..Thursday Book Giveaway– the Valentine Series
Giving up on the fruit trees here. They’re too large. At least, the deer won’t get the peaches this year.~~Dee
Well right now Dee I am unsure as to how accurate the forecasts will be for you, because we are not getting the snow levels they said we would – yet!
Brit’ Gal Sarah´s last blog post..Rain, Sleet, Blizzard
On the local news later, it looked bad for you guys. I hope you have electricity.~~Dee