nice shots Pixie & Aged
Today's Weather in Your Garden - 14
Victor, hubby is retired from IBM (Yorktown) and I spent only 2 years as a lab tech with IBM East Fishkill, but located at the Po'k complex. He now does some professional camera work through a contractor back at IBM once in a while. We became heavily involved in community issues here and helped form a Watershed committee (non-advocacy) involving the towns in the Fishkill basin. He did the web work and I led the group for a couple of years. We've scaled back now and are planning to move south after our son graduates from Binghamton.
How 'bout you?
Interesting pond, AG. The gold fish are cold fish but I guess the heater keeps them safe.
Temp 44.9°, Wchill 32.7°, Wind WNW 16.9°mph, Clear sky. ☺
Stay at home dad now, Lynn. Over 16 yrs at Columbia U. at a research lab. Where do you plan to relocate to?
aged - who promised you the 14 storms? The Farmer's Almanac? I hope they're wrong, whoever it was!
36 deg. and snowing again.
37 and we just had a two minute snow storm - now rain but the sun is still out.
We began our search in NC, SC and TN, Victor. There were pluses and minuses to each town that we visited and will expand our search now that we've broken the ice and are actively looking. Probably not near the coast but closer to the mountains - such beautiful country! Right now, we kind of like the Clemson, SC area.... we'll have to do some more looking. NY is becoming very expensive for retirees! Shorter winters would be attractive, too! Clemson University has a wonderful agriculture program, though.
Temp 34.5°, Wchill 21.1°, Wind WNW 12.0 mph, Thin haze. ☺
Sunny and calm, 26 degrees. Still have snow on the ground but the last storms deposit has melted away already. Hoping for more to go the next few days. :)
The breeze has picked up substantially making feel colder, wind chill in single digits but is going to warm up or so they say. :)
This message was edited Mar 2, 2008 8:12 AM
28, very sunny, winds at 14 so the forecast may be 42 but won't feel quite as good. Time to go nursery shopping soon...like an hour.
28 here, supposed to be a cold rain later- changing to something nonrain overnight.
"Nonrain" falling from the sky doesn't sound so good, I'm sure.
Good morning everyone! The sun is shining and it's 29 degrees on the way up to the low to mid 40s. No rain, no snow and hopefully some more melting!
27 wcf makes it 17 but it's sunny!
30 and sunny here. Mamasita - good luck! I love the montain areas too. Loved the Ashville, NC area.
Victor, we actually loved the Ashville area but it's very costly. Maybe if we broaden our search, we'll find the perfect spot. I'd love to have a longer growing season and a greenhouse and a swimming pool....wouldn't mind the sun room I currently have in a new location! Oh yeah, less snow!
Mamasita ~ That sounds lovely!!!!
Temp 38.8°, Wchill 24.8, wind NNW 15.8 mph, Clear. ☺
Pixie, I imagine these are all things that would appeal to you, too! Every time I read that you're getting more snow, my heart goes out to you and I try to send you thoughts of the Arizona desert as I remember it from about 7 years ago - minus the drought!
Yes, I've heard that Asheville is expensive. I hear you on the longer growing season, etc. Anything in that area will be an improvement over NY!
I have a map in some how-to book that shows growing regions with average temps and humidity, etc. - not the standard growing zone stuff we're used to seeing. The areas we've been looking at meet many of my requirements. Hubby can do the things he enjoys regardless of where we end up! I wish all of my requirements could be met in New Hampshire or Massachusetts, but alas, too much snow and cold weather.
I like that approach - let gardening conditions lead the way!
Please let us know the name of that book - looks like valuable info!
I will see if I can find it. Strangely, I think it was a book with ideas for building pergolas and other outdoor structures. Give me some time to find it as I'm getting the college student ready to return!
OK everybody, the student is on his way back AND I found the book!!! It's a soft cover called "Trellises and Arbors" by Sunset. In the very back, just before the index are pages entitled 'Sunset's Garden Climate Zones' which include, "... brief descriptions of the 45 zones illustrated on the map.." and the map follows. It also says:
" For more information, consult 'Sunset's National Garden Book' and 'Western
Garden Book'."
It shows all of the continental U.S. as well as part of Canada and Mexico. Besides that, the entire book is just great, with pictures of gardening ideas and structures. The whole thing is only 112 pages and the sticker on the back indicates that I bought it at Wal-Mart, but as some type of promo. There may be an updated version which you might be able to find at Barnes & Noble or maybe even a Lowe's or Home Depot. Let me know if you're able to locate a copy.
- Lynn
Thanks Lynn. That map is online. It breaks down the USDA hardiness zone into smaller areas with descriptions. Here it is. You can click on an area to get closer to the region of interest.
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/0,20633,845218,00.html
Excellent, Victor! Thanks for finding that information and posting it for everyone! (The book is handy for those of us who collect books as well as plants!) I hope this will be a better gardening aid than those general "zone" maps
Very interesting map. In zone 34 it states April to late October for planting here, longer than the Asheville area, which is also the one I'd have suggested since the real PIRL had an uncle who lived there and she always said (even in her 90's) that it's where she'd choose to live. Our growing season is 220 days, longer than the south side of L.I.
I was really impressed with the map too, and found things I really hadn't considered until I read the descriptions and did some comparisons.
It was a 40 degree day, but windy--the dam has been closed for 2 days--probably too lazy to plow on weekend--so I had to go to state park(partially in our town) to walk---they didn't have much plowed, either---only the main road, but there were walkers, most with dogs & 1 cross country skiier. Saw a pair of bluebirds sitting on the ticket shack--guess they can't wait til summer, either!
We've had bluebirds in our area since early Feb, Robin! They usually begin their preliminary real estate hunting in March and we always pray that we don't get a cold, rainy spell to thwart their new family.
It was a nice day today, was able to go outside for a short time without a jacket. We had a high of 41 and it's now beginning to drop but at least some of the snow is melting. Supposed to hit the 50 degree mark tomorrow - woo hoo!
Still had some light at 6 PM so a week from today that will be the case for 7!! Can't wait.
Some lightning here tonight.
You have some crazy weather in your part of the country, Al. Extremes in temps, lots of snow, tornadoes, etc. Very calm here by comparison.
Thank goodness it's quiet in our little corner for a while! I need me some sun and temps above 50!
Sunny and 30 degrees. Should be in the 50's today.
whoo hoo Victor!
about the same here
Currently At 8:02AM
Partly Sunny
28°F
RealFeelŪ
33°F
Winds: N
at 0mph
Partly Sunny
Humidity: 75%
Dew Point: 21° F
Pressure: N/A
Visibility: 9 Miles
Monday, Mar 3
High: 54 °F RealFeelŪ: 49 °F
Partly sunny and not as cool