1/22/09

So much for "no rain in the forecast"

How do they miss half-an-inch?

IMG_1746

Now we have nothing but "unsettled" weather in the forecast. I see we had more rainy days after the 22nd last January too.

IMG_1800

So winter returns to California.

IMG_1788

Here's the thermometer I bought last month to record the min/max temperatures in the last 24 hours. It has two parts, one part goes outdoors, and one part stays indoors. The outdoor part transmits a temperature reading to the indoor part by radio wave every 5 seconds. The top number is the current outdoor temperature, and the bottom number is the temperature in the garage. Currently it's 53 outdoors, and 60 in the garage.

IMG_1795

The maximum outdoor temperature in the last 24 hours was about 62.

IMG_1796

The minimum outdoor temperature in the last 24 hours was 50.

IMG_1797

Brrrr! :P

No dramatic changes in the garden since I last talked to you two days ago.

IMG_1775

IMG_1774

IMG_1754

But the weight of the rain has the bamboo weeping nearly to the ground. I may have to prune it or take out a few stalks.

IMG_1758

(Yeah, I have a garbage can in my garden right now. The potato vines were getting really long and I didn't have anything to stack them in. So I cut the bottom out of an old kitchen garbage can and plopped it on top. Then I filled it halfway up with compost. More potatoes? I hope so. Next time I need something better than a garbage can tho'. This is a fabulous Bernal Heights estate garden and I cannot have my potatoes stacked in a garbage can.)

Daffodil flowers, coming soon.

IMG_1752

Hopefully lots of them.

Narcissus

And Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman' is right on the cusp.

Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman'

Do you see the purple pot?

IMG_1748

I believe that's an artichoke.

Arichoke

It's what grew from this mystery "bulb" I found in the compost bin a few weeks ago. I discarded an artichoke from the garden two years ago. Has it been sitting in there ever since?

IMG_1181

I added gravel to the cobblestone paths recently. New gravel and recent rain always give the place a nice, fresh look. Over here I even banked a bed that was slowly sliding into the path.

IMG_1784

Much better.

IMG_1783

I turned the Christmas tree into mulch.

IMG_1785

A few things wait patiently for warmer days, like larkspur seedlings.

Larkspur

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita).

Matricaria recutita

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Psyche Mix'--the double-flowering form.

Cosmos

And even some nasturtium (Trapaeolum majus) to make the vegetable garden more...folksy, I guess.

Trapaeolum

Next week I start tomato and squash seeds for a March 15 planting date.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your garden looks very fresh and verdant thanks to the rain. I thought of you saying no rain when the weather was on last night! It looks like quite a bit, the plants say hooray! Your seedlings look fabulous and daff buds are so exciting. But your temps seem a little cool, what happened to that 80 you were needling Christopher with?

Frances

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Wow, it looks so lush! You have a beautiful yard. I love your seedlings. Do you have them in a greenhouse?

Christopher C. NC said...

Brrrr!! 50 is 10 degrees above my new warm. Rain is good for you and I know you are happy to see it.

I'm having a bad picture loading day, so I'll have to come back later and look. I have been watching that bamboo over the last year though and noticed it over the top of the railing in one of the recent Hardenbergia shots.

I sure hope you got a thinner stemmed clumper.

Town Mouse said...

Well, here in the South Bay they forcast 1/4 inch and we got 1/2. Of course I'm just thrilled, and sure hope we'll get a few more...

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Hi,
It is raining here too! They didn't say it was going to rain maybe a sprinkle or two. SO now we have rain in the forecast till Monday I guess. LOL Oh well... We need the rain so bad up here!

Jon said...

Sometimes I think the weather forecasts would be more accurate if they just looked out of the back door at the sky and took a guess. Perhaps they are simply not trained well enough to use or read all of these new fancy gadgets and instruments?

I liked your idea of using the garbage can with the potato plant...I'll bet you get a bumper crop.

Jon at Mississippi Garden

Anonymous said...

It is soooo green there. We just have blankets of white here. Your little seedlings look so promising!

Tira said...

Lots going on and of course I love the bamboo.

Chloe Marguerite said...

Your garden is so GREEN. My garden just got the annual 'cut everything back to the ground' treatment and it's downright nekkid!

Chloe M.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

I too am often amused by how off the weather forecasts are, even very close in time (e.g. the morning news says it will rain later in the morning and it doesn't--I can see it's hard to predict several days out, but a few hours ahead?!). Your first thermometer shot looks like the highs and lows IN MY HOUSE!!! I set it very low because it's ridiculously expensive to heat a house when it's a high of 12F for weeks on end! And I may be just a little nuts, but I'm nuts with thick skin! ;-)

lisa said...

I just love the green shades of your winter, my whites are getting a tad old right about now. You are my seed-growing hero! :)