Thanks a lot Guy.....

...you just HAD to take your plants out of the greenhouse, didn't you!

"THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY. THIS REPLACES THE FROST ADVISORY ISSUED EARLIER.

LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT ARE FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO WHERE TEMPERATURES SHOULD ONLY LOWER TO THE MIDDLE 30S."

Say good bye to those compound leaf types for the second year in a row. That 'Perkins Pink' flowering will have to wait another year....*sigh*

At least Spring was SO early that I got to enjoy a lot of flowering already.

Yeah, I KNEW it would happen! But our local forecast is for the mid-30s, so we might escape down here.

Maybe we should just dig out the old Continental Climate thread from GW and replay it . . .

Guy S.

Well, it was 28F air temperature when I woke up, but it appears my little hole in the ground came out unscathed. No frost, no black leaves(yet). I would think anyone further north suffered. Equil?

This message was edited Apr 26, 2006 6:35 AM

Never did get down that low here this time. Equil?

26 way up here north of the frozen tundra, but don't worry about us we don't take the long johns off until July... Equil?

Thanks for pointing me here. Yup, I got nailed again. 24 when I got up. I am getting used to this. This will be the 4th year in a row Ma Nature is socking it to me and to top things off, we're not getting rain. Somehow those few thunderclouds that pass through are missing us. I am thoroughly disgusted. As fast as I can try to get something in the ground that I have distrubed by removing invasives... this crap happens. Very frustrating to say the least. Not to mention that I have been so darn busy I missed the weather report and left out a couple hundred native carnivorous plants. Oh joy. I could puke. Makes me want to cry.

Yikes--24--sorry to hear that Equil. I remember getting 23 degrees on May 23rd a few years back, and having an entire landscape of black mushy leaves. I was amazed how quickly things recovered. I don't think one plant actually died. Ma Nature recovers well.

I am beginning to think you Yankees had better set your calendars for May 1 to put out your tender vegetation. That is why "Moss Hanging Day" is on May 1, Guy.
Coleen

Yeah, LOL, that's my plan, 1 May. But I had to get other stuff out of the greenhouses because soft new growth was beginning.

Equil, I don't know what to say to console you. I remember how down I felt last year after the big May freeze damaged so many things. If it makes you feel any better, you still have the drought and the Japanese beetles to look forward to . . .

Guy S.

Aw Lauren, aint he sweet to console you with that! BTW, how do you find out the last frost date?

Our average last frost day is the middle of April, but I learned a long time ago to wait until the first of May to put out tender plants. It just doesn't make sense to keep them inside all winter, then put them out before it is safe.

I feel very sorry for all that have had their plants damaged by surprise frosts/freezes.

For me here in 5a, I've always gone by May 15th. Don't know where I heard it, but it was a long time ago and I've never forgot it.

Keep in mind that the AVERAGE last frost date is just that. You cannot depend upon it, just let it serve as a guide. Also keep in mind that if your dormant plants are feeling their oats and beginning to grow, you HAVE to put them out so they will harden off. You lose either way I guess.

Guy S.

Yep, sounds like it. I did know enough to cut the grasses down that were starting to green up, the feather reed grass first, since it's a warm season grass. My grandmother used to tell me not to plant until Mother's Day, so May 15th sounds right for us terry. Now I've also heard not to trim bulb foliage until it browns. My new hosta bed has lots of tulips and daffodils that have finished blooming. The hostas are not going to be big enough, or in the right places, to cover the dying foliage. How do you solve this problem? I know! Plant trees and shrubs! ;-)

We had a much needed rain overnight and today here in New Orleans, about one and one-half inches, the most we've had since October. Washed some of the sheetrock dust and hurricane debris dust out of the air. (If you don't live here you have no idea...)
Guy, I believe the Raintree I grew from seeds you sent to me must have grown six inches since the rain started last night. Wonder if that's why it's called "raintree". Just kidding---it's called that because it rains flowers everywhere, then seeds, then leaves.

Yes dad, it's the average last day of frost. Thank you for clarifying! :o)

Yes, Mother's Day is the rule of thumb around here but think of what happened last year on Mother's Day. Didn't it snow?

No rain to speak of here lately. Time to get out the war paint and do a rain dance?

Finally rain in the forecast for the weekend here. Same for you, Equil?

We were a little colder last night than the night before.

just had to add a comment..(as semi- usual), i CAN'T BELIEVE you guys planted!!!!! i know the only things i can plant (even though we almost hit 80 last week) are woody plants and dormant trees!! you are all naughty and most likely know better. i for one will NEVER forget the late april and early may that we had a average of over 70 degrees daily.......BUT on may 12 we got 4 inches of SNOW! cured me for LIFE!

mother's day are bulbs and clean out the bed days here. NO plants until after may 31st over here...a lessoned learned time and again for me..:)

It's not what we planted tobee--EVERYTHING is leafed out here. Even the ancient Oaks and Hickories have leaves. It has been an early spring.

Yes, spring came early this year and everything was leafing out to include the old Oaks. Anyone remember that week in the upper teens and low 20's last November before Thanksgiving when winter came early? That was fun.

kevin...well actually here too. we have things leafed out that shouldn't be at this point. and i have had some damage, but very little. but in this case for me living in a sub climate i'm behind everyone so many of my trees are not out yet which has helped the situation...... the sub zone has never been good for anything else before so it is the VERT least it could do for me. i'm also keeping some of my new trees dormant longer just in case...i just don't trust anything about weather anymore!

That's because our zones are actually in flux now, I believe because of major ozone depletion. I just finished mowing the dandelions with my cordless electric mower. ;-)

prairiegirl...well not for me. i'm mean i'm certain the ozone depletion has affect on every climate. but i'm in the highest altitude in nj and then i'm in a gully. so i have a freeze pit! so when across the street is in bloom i'm still NOT.

Well, ozone depletion is what's giving us excessive exposure to harmful wavelengths of light, which doesn't help much either -- but "greenhouse gases" that reflect infra-red back to Earth are responsible for disrupting out climate, assuming you choose to believe what most scientists are claiming and what our fearless leaders still choose to ignore. Regardless, I just hope I don't have a repeat of last year's May freeze, followed by a repeat of last year's massive Japanese beetle infestation, followed by a repeat of last year's record drought, followed by next year's cicada swarm.

By the way, Kevin, why does everyone love to name these "dang the climate" threads after me? I'm getting a persecution complex here! How about naming something NICE after me for a change?

Terry, at least you're not calling me "gramps" yet!

Guy S.

Guy how about a thread named "Understanding the female psyche" and use your name as an expert to give advice. Kind of like "Dear Guy" (Abby). Hee Hee

Dear Guy,

My plant appears to be suffering from separation anxiety. The poor thing was in a tray with 15 other plants and it never has adjusted to life on its own.

What do you suggest I do?

soferdig....if guy had a thread or anything suggesting that he even remotely had a total or even a partial "Understanding of the female psyche" ...he wouldn't be answering our questions on dg....he'd be in a mansion somewhere in tahiti enjoying the fruit and trees of his labor of understanding and the envy of every man on this earth....:) (no offence intended guy!) but i have yet in my years to meet a man that could (or would really want to have totally understanding of what we think or feel because basically we don't even know........nor do we have to know, ............ after all, we are female!) do you UNDERSTAND what i mean, i mean did i just understand what i wrote??? guy...... LOL

This message was edited Apr 28, 2006 7:30 AM

Sure, I understand EVERYTHING about the female brain. I would be the perfect person for the job!

Whenever my wife has a problem figuring out some mechanical thing, or reading a map, etc., I just mutter "the female brain at work" (and then duck!). Hee-hee-hee!

I tease LOL all the time too, but that's completely safe because she's 1000 miles away and can't use her police training tactics on me. If she ever darkens my doorway I'm probably way over my head in deep doo-doo . . .

Equil, regarding your maladjusted plant -- you just need to wear something revealing, serve it a nice dinner by soft candlelight, and make it feel wanted . . . and keep the frost away! Speaking of which, I hope some of your little carnivores survived the big freeze -- ?

Guy S.

That will teach you for teasing with LoveOakLady! You will live your life in fear of the female lurking in the shadows!

All the carnivorous plants I had outside were North American natives, they're tough. They may not grow as well this year because of a set back but they'll grow. My two prized Magnolias that were blooming took a major hit as well as all the annuals I had planted in planters. Figures. Other than that, Kevin is right... most of the herbaceous perennials as well as the woodies will recover. It just sucks to walk around out there and look at mush.

I think if we did not have frost fears in the spring gardening would be boring. I love to place my annuals out at least a month too early. It is fun to place sheets ( I use flannel because my plants prefer them) out on my newly planted, sensitive bloomers, and any other trees I'm paranoid about loosing. I have a good hunter green series that I place near the road so neighbors aren't offended. Seriously my wife and I go garage sale shopping for flannel.

Soferdig - ROFLMAO. "I use flannel because my plants prefer them"!

Well when I place them over my annuals they just quit singing out of joy at being at my garden and go to sleep. You know how kids are when they first get together, quite boisterous. LOL