Snow in April?!

[tosca]

Okay - so this isn't about dog shows, but it is about dogs - dogs who HATE to go outside when it's 30 degrees in the middle of April and SNOWING! ARGHHH - can't get the pups out for any length of time to run around; their ears would get wet and can't have that! :mad:

We had an inch of snow yesterday morning; luckily it melted off and 'warmed up' to 45 degrees - now, it's snowing again! :eek:

Will spring every come to the Pacific Northwest?

[sorthund]

I hope it will Cathy. In addition to the snow, then sunshine we also had lightening all in the same day. Unbelievable!

[Elaine]

While you're having snow :(, we're having Spring... our annuals are in bloom... temps are in the 70's :D
Of course, in a few months, while you're enjoying a reasonable summer, we'll be sweltering in 100 degree heat and dealing with bugs as big as helicopters. :mad:

[sorthund]

I hate that much heat, so I'll take the snow in April (it's rare anyway, lol).

[Elaine]

It’s always a trade off. I’m originally from the PNW... grew up along Lake Washington... live in Redmond for years. Gardening has always been a big part of my life, so was mud, clay soil :mad: and slugs :mad::mad::mad:. Still, one of the things I miss most about the PNW is the temperate climate and the spectacular diversity you see in the gardens there. I miss Molbak’s, the Seattle Garden Center, the U of W Arboretum and Wells Medina Nursery. There is nothing like that here... n-o-t-h-i-n-g. :(

But, on the upside... my base soil is sand. :) From time-to-time we have torrential down pours... but it drains away almost immediately... there is no mud, no slugs... and weeding is so easy it’s embarrassing to have a weed. The dogs never track in mud; they track in sand. This area is great for keeping dogs and horses in optimum condition because they can be out and exercising most all year long. The dogs and horses thrive here, for 9 months of the year.

But when it gets hot, believe me, it gets HOT. You pretty much have to stay inside... or plan your outside activities from 9:00 p.m. through to about 8:00 a.m. I have had annuals simply boil and die on a hot day. Things start to get pretty brown. The horses must be in under fans during the day, the dogs too. By about August I am really missing green, water and scenery like the Oregon Coast.

One real down side of this heat is that we have a terrible time growing grass here. You have to re-seed every fall with an annual rye grass if you want green. Every single fall. I am attaching a photo of Coodanz from a few years ago. If you look at the grass in his paddock and in the background, you will how short it is... that was taken in the fall. And I've added one from last summer... if you look very closely between the trees you can see Arthur on the riding mower out in the field.

[jkf]

Elaine:
I guess we never have it exactly right when it comes to gardening. I have slugs and grass up the kazoo, you have sandy soil. I wish it was easy to weed here. Remember how we used to talk about he perfect weeding tools? Grass gets in everything here and it is a b.... to weed here. If you don't keep up with it you are sentenced to grass filled beds and having to start over again. But you are right we have gardening stores and nurserys to die for here. And variety that I'm sure surpasses many states.
I guess we have to enjoy what Mother Nature gives us. and like you always told me "Mother Natures Colors Never Clash".
Julie

[Elaine]

... and like you always told me "Mother Natures Colors Never Clash".
Julie

God... I was a child back then. :p

You would kill me if you saw what I did this morning... :eek: I took all the silk flowers I've purchased over that past 10 years... I’m talking silk daffodils, silk peonies, silk primroses, silk morning glories, orchids, azaleas, pansies... the whole stinkin silk-kaboddle, divided the stuff in half and made two arrangements for the urns by my front door. It looks like absolute cr@p...if I do say so myself (and I do). Trust me, I was wrong, "Mother Nature's colors can indeed clash, to the point of nausea. :cool: But since we never come and go through the front door... any real flowers would be completely ignored and once the hot weather starts, real flowers would be fried in about a day and a half.

When I finished with my fabulous creations this morning I went and got Arthur (who was mowing at the far side of the pond). We did the Garden tour... he loved the look. Men! The can be so easy to please at times :D