It's really fall!

We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1037177/

The Chinese Pistache trees are turning. I love how colorful they are.

I hope everyone is high and dry and no one is flooding!

Not so much....we've had as much as 6" of water in the back yard all day, and some coming in the patio doors. Had to go out earlier, and lots of intersections in town are flooded pretty deep. I went out twice today to clear the storm grates of leaves in our cul-de-sac---otherwise it would have been worse. Our neighbor's back yard has always drained into our front yard, which complicates the situation. On the up-side, I don't need to worry about refilling the ponds!!!

DH just checked his weather station, which he's been keeping for 8 years. This is the most rain we've gotten in any one day since he started tracking, and we've only had 8 MONTHS with more rain. If this keeps up until midnight, we'll be down to only 4 months that we've had more! Guess the storm wrranted all the media hype.

I read they're evacuating folks in the Santa Cruz fire areas.....fingers crossed for all those people.

This message was edited Oct 13, 2009 7:37 PM

We had a few drops this morning but so far nothing more yet.....we are waiting!!!!!

Doss, those trees ARE gorgeous!

We got an "innocent" and welcome dosage early in the morning and a few little ones throughout the day. Definitely a nice change from the heat, but very odd for October.

We got hammered today - heavy steady rain with wind gusts up to 45 mph, total rain around 4-5 inches (an educated guess - don't have official number). But, I finally went out during a break in the weather and checked my Fuyu persimmon tree. The fruit is almost ready for picking. It weathered this first part of the storm OK.

This message was edited Oct 13, 2009 10:34 PM

The abuliton was swaying a lot today.

And the zinnia was flattened.

I have pistache trees and mine are still green....for whatever reason, this is the first year ever that we have no persimmons on our fuyu. One of the roads near us has a table set up every year selling their persimmons and I sure hope they have some this year...gotta have persimmons! I would love to have some of the rain you guys are getting...we got a slight misting and that was it.

If you had a light misting, I wonder what to call what we got! I drove into Fallbrook yesterday morning and the streets were pretty wet compared to here. Funny how those clouds can rain differently in spots so close together. Nice change, but I'll be groaning in February, waiting for spring! LOL

Just heard on the news how bad the rain is up north - hope everyone is OK.

A little rain this morning, very cloudy and looks like we could get more at any minute.

Sherry, there's a little Mexican market here in Vista, Primo Market, that has persimmons. They always have lots of local produce. If you get down this way, they're on the frontage road (Vista Way) alongside hiway 78 just east of Emerald Road.

We were just there the other day, DP. They did have some good looking produce - and lots of it!

I live about six blocks from there K. I shop there at LEAST weekly. buy all my salsa from there.

DH tried some salsa and it turned out to be the hot stuff - they had an assortment out for tasting. He choked all the way back to the car! LOL

My Fuyu seems to alternate years of crops. I had to cut it back two years ago because it had gotten so leggy that limbs were breaking.

Those Pistache trees won't be that color for a couple more weeks. I kind of cheated but it's my favorite local fall photo. The maples are still just beginning to turn.

Sorry that you had some flooding Imapigeon. Hope that there wasn't too much damage. We had a lot of rain this morning but the sun is out now. Our house heater is on the blink and won't be fixed until Thursday so the sun is really a good thing right now.

It looks like the 2nd day of rain predicted isn't going to materialize---we've had a few little squalls, but nothing serious. All the standing water's drained off and it smells wonderful out!! According to our weather station, we got just over 6 inches, which is a 1-day record for the past 9 years. Hope some of it ended up in the reservoirs!!

We got a bunch here too--I don't think we got 6" but probably got 4 or 5. There's a seasonal pond/wetland behind my house, last year it was January before it filled up, but yesterday's rain did a pretty good job--woke up to the sight of ducks swimming around happily! I think the rain is pretty much over though--had a nice downpour this morning just as I was trying to walk from my car into my building at work, but now the sun's even peeking out a bit.

You all can send that rain this way!! I am glad to see that you all are ok . Anyone heard from Louise?

Thanks, DP...I know where Primo is though we haven't been by there in years..do they still BBQ? I was always tempted to try it. I get my persimmons for $1 a bag....ssshhhh...and go by there every a.m. once they start putting them out. I also keep the location seccret...lol.....

I was tempted by the smell of that BBQ, Sherry - seldom see beef ribs (I don't do pork) on offer.

Re the rain - what's that term again? - oh yeah, "diddly squat!" Black clouds sitting on top of us all day and not a drop.

Yeah and I'm still out there watering with the hose....

Well, I'm sorry to hear about your flooding ima. You need sandbags! : - (
Glad it has cleared out. Don't know where DH left the paper, and haven't been able to put up my rain gauge. DH guessimates we got a 1/4" maybe. (He said doubtfully!)
It was enough to wash the dust off the Monterrey Pines. Soaked in immediately, though. I heard that the rain yesterday was the earliest rain in October for the last 45 years. I was happy to see it, smell it, and even if I still had to do some handwatering, it was refreshing. I hate the way it skips around the hills. Hits some, and less than a mile away pours like crazy. That's Southern California for you.
I know it rained because . . . .
I found a puddle.
WIB,
SW

What an unbelievable gusher that was yesterday, paper said it was one of the strongest October storms in 50 years! Mudslides in Santa Cruz County, 1 fatality contributed to those mudslides, lots of flooding, car accidents, downed trees, power outages, and then today, scattered clouds and humid.
And to top off yesterday, we had a 3.8 earthquake in the evening too. To me, October will always be earthquake month and every year I wonder if we'll get one again in Oct. This Sat. is the 20 year anniversary of the Loma Prieta quake, still very vivid in my mind.

Can plants ooze happiness over their rain soaking? I am sure I sensed it when walking the garden this morning ^_^

This message was edited Oct 14, 2009 9:06 PM

I think so, just think they aren't covered with dust now! : - )
DH harvested the last of his cornstalks for Pumpkin Patch decorations, but look at that sky this afternoon, in the background. Isn't it something?
WIB,
SW

When the wind is just right I can smell the Barbeque from Primo's here at the house. Yes Sherry, they certainly do still fire up their grill there. They also have my favorite guacamole.

Okay, when we come down in Feb. I'm gonna make someone give me good directions to this place. DH loves beef ribs. Not pork.
For those that got those weird amaryllis bulbs from me. I hope you set them on top of the ground where they will remain undisturbed. This is what happened to mine today. Will take photos day by day 'cause it's cool to watch.
WIB,
SW

Ok what is the name of that bulb?

I don't know, Marie. I am still looking for the photos I took of the starts last year. I think it is in the amaryllis family but over time (a long time) they develop stalks. I asked my cousin's BFF, in Riverside for the starts almost 15 + years ago. She said they'd been there as long as she could remember, and hers were between 4-6 feet tall.
Mine are only about 2 1/2 feet tall, and just last year started setting seed. Survives our weather and blooms every July-Aug. Flowers are white, not pink like the naked ladies. Otherwise appear the same.
So I got to go looking through my photos and find those pictures. When I do, I'll post them. Maybe one of you all will know what it is.
Sending a photo of the plant as it looks right now. If you look close you will see one of the bulbs in the foliage of the plant. This is fairly representative, except no flowers are visible.
Sorry, Marie.
WIB,
SW

Kaper C, any thoughts on why my vitis californica Rogers Red didn't color up this year, and just seemed to turn brown? Last year it colored up really nicely. One of the few things that will on the coast. I don't think I killed it. It just looks a little pitiful. I may have given it too much water (not on purpose) because I put something in near it when it was still kinda hot and wanted to get the new plant through the heat...

Gosh, I don't know, surf. Ours is puny as RRs go, but always has some color. We've over-watered ours several times this summer: one time the water pipe broke and we had a real gusher, and a couple of times DH was filling the fountain as he worked around the corner and forgot the hose was on! So I doubt a little too much water would hurt it. How old is it? We're going to plant five or six more soon on some arbors, so in a couple of years I should have some real experience with them! LOL

Today it's 81 degrees, blue sky---gorgeous out. Nearly every leaf has suddenly fallen off my variegated acer negundo today. No wind....they just fell off like they were held on by an electromagnet and somebody turned off the power. Bizarre!

SW, perhaps it's a crinum.

wcgypsy, I think so, Marie sent me a link, so now the question is, Which one? I started a thread on it, and it shows the growth. Way cool to watch it root. I haven't gotten to the flowers yet though, since I'm having to go through day by day looking for the little bugger. LOL!
None of the trees around here are turning colors. Am getting depressed. Don't any tulips grow in zone 9?
Been looking for hours while laid up with fever. Haven't found any yet. Oh well, we can grow crocus, hyacinths, and daffie's here. I guess that'll have to do.
Halloween color. Ima sent me this canna, love the leaves.

Close up of same canna.
Thank you imapigeon. It's been giving me a lot of joy.

My Tecoma stans is a stand out in the yard with these pretty orange clusters of blossoms. Still like calling it a Honey bird bush. LOL!

Fall flower arrangement.

I don't know if there are some tulip species that will do well in zone 9 with no extra effort, but if you really want some you can dig them up every year and chill them in the fridge to give them a nice fake winter. I'm too lazy to do that, but if you really want tulips maybe it's worth the extra work! Some bulb suppliers sell pre-chilled bulbs too so if you don't mind planting new ones every year you could always buy those.

The flower arrangement was given to me, as were the mums in this photo. A friend of mine keeps giving them to me, I'm not that crazy about cut flowers, but I'm not going to hurt his feelings either. I give them away if I can (after I take photos), and nurse the ones in pots back to health.
Happy October!
WIB!
SW

I think tulips are waaaay too much trouble in our zone, SW---I'll take daffs and crocuses and iris any day.
Glad the canna is happy there---that one's Pretoria, and I love the leaves too!

Very cheery pics, SW.