Environment Casnada's predictions, updated, downgraded. Not the greatest. We don't believe them, though, do we. LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Weather for May

Hope you people still *enjoying* the snow keep it to yourselves! I feel for ya tho. Ours has officially gone and it's nice and sunny but I'm still cautious.

We left home for 3 weeks this month (we're retired and should have been gone all winter but DH doesn't like the exchange rate and I hate to be away for very long) and have only just gotten back. Have started gardening - am moving a lot of plants around this year and trying to make some sense of it all. New beds, etc., etc. No end to the plans altho I know there's a limit to my endurance. Anyhow it's so fun til it's excruciating pain!

Gotta get out and play with compost! :-)

We are finally get some decent weather this weekend! Above temps at night too, whooohooo!

We are having a nice spell too. I cleaned out a couple flowerbeds yesterday. I'll continue the task when it gets light out. Hopefully I can finish it all up today.
I've been moving a few things around. Today I plan on moving a couple roses before they leaf out.

On the plus side, it looks like all my roses have made the winter. I am also seeing green on all my daylilies except for one. My peonies, tulips and other spring bulbs are poking through.

I did loose a few irises. Mostly new ones that were planted last year. And lots of my dianthus bit the dust too. Now I wish that I would have started way more.

Shelley

Yesterday was glorious +23...today a windy +12 and very little rain to make it worth while.So funny a few weeks ago I would have loved the +12 and would have not complained at all..lol..Jean

Today must have been at LEAST +15...maybe more. Felt positively summery compared to what it has been. So - of course - I was out poking around in the garden, planting some shrubs etc.

Speaking of prices...if I go early in the year, I find that some Superstores carry very nice, healthy plants that are easily a 1/3 of greenhouse costs. It is true, sometimes you are taking a bit of a gamble on exactly what you are getting, but if you know what you're looking for..I found some very nice hostas this weekend for only $3.50-4.00! If you are willing to wait for shrubs to grow, you can also buy small ones (including dwarf conifers) for $7.99-14.99. I'm willing to wait with some plants, because the larger ones are just unbelievably expensive.

If anybody does buy at places like Superstore though, be sure you go early - like now - because the plants definitely go sharply downhill after a month or so.

Weeper, Superstore is a frequent stop for me and indeed generally have pretty darn good prices! Though, I do see a hike from last year, some items considerably.

The last three days have been very nice, though looks like cooler and unsettled conditions are on the way. Have been moving lots of shrubs before they leaf out and I see that there's plenty of moisture in the ground.

Terry

Rhods are $32.99 at Canadian Tire. $32.99. Might as well just get them at the local garden centre.

Canadian Tire has scratch-off discounts this week. I have my eye on a hydrangea and a mock orange. :) Can't go tonight, but i'll be there tomorrow after work!

Costco has Rhodos for $16.99....and trees (crabapple, apple and plum, could have been others as well)for $31.79.

Miserable weather here the last couple of days....rain and thunderstorms...with hail.

Sierra

We've had great weather for a few days now, but for some reason it just can't last. Rain tomorrow and then getting colder and you guessed it - possible s*** for Friday and Saturday. Is this ever going to end???

Monday and Tuesday were lovely days, everyone was outside basking in the warmth.
What it looks like this morning:

Didn't see any rhods at Costco yet, will have to try again this week.

Friggin snow and cold ... 1/2 inch ice on the rain barrel this morning and still there's ice remaining at nearly 3:00 pm in the afternoon :(

Last night, I had brought in all my potted shrubs, roses and perennials, thank god I did, they would have been badly damaged by the hard freeze, as was some of the perennials that were nicely showing themselves in the front of the house. For this date, I think I had heard it was the coldest temp recorded in Edmonton in 50 years! Lots of losses at the greenhouses, SuperStore especially hard hit, as they apparently don't cover or protect things.

I'm so tired of winter!

Terry

Even Walmart covered up their stuff.

Lost my impatiens that were in the greenhouse last night, everything else looks fine.

Crazy fric' weather! I'm sick of it too!

Sharon

It hasn't hit here yet - just the wind and rain - but it's apparently coming. I'll have to throw a blanket over my winter sowing to protect the annuals that have sprouted, and bring in the hydrangea and mockorange that i bought last week.

What the heck have we done to deserve this? I ask you, really. >:(

OMG ... looks like we're not done with the cold ... The Weather Network shows more crap is on the way for next week ... bbbbrrrr!

Yes, Sharon, today I had seen lots of mushy impatiens and coleus :(

Terry

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that Sharon. I don't have a greenhouse, but I do have a sunroom. It's too cold to leave anything in there though, so I've hauled everything back into the house and I'm now tripping over plants all over my back entrance. What a pain.

And on and on and on! I still amintain that this is May in Canada! I can remember VERY few May longweekends that didn't come with cold weather in this part of the country anyway.

To take my mind off it, I came across the Edmonton Journal Goosecam again. Mother Goose is almost ready to hatch her brood. According to the info. she is on like day 34 . At least she is sheltered and not wet.....yet. I remember a few years back, the mother Canada sitting her hatch on the hill by the lagoons east of Calgary. She wouldn't move even though her back was covered in snow and ice! And my husband was there daily to check the pumps about 2 feet away from her! Mother Nature sure is wacky and wonderful in all HER moods! Right GUYS?

Check her out on edmontonjournal.com. Perhaps we could all learn a little patience from this beautiful lady.

Ginny

I'm sorry to hear that, too, Sharon. Maybe it's just the top growth and the roots will sprout again? I had that happen with Amaranthus once - top growth froze off but they resprouted and came back in no time at all.

I can take exactly 2 steps into my greenhouse - every square inch of bench and floor is filled to capacity. The hardiest of stuff is in the garage, hopefully it'll weather the predicted -7 tonight.

Man, I think Mother Nature is on crack.

.......and didn't we have this conversation last year, too, LOL

Yes, we're experiencing nothing unusual for the prairies, last spring was cold and so also is this one! Though, after the next coming cold snap ... THAT BETTER BE IT FOR ALL THIS ARCTIC AIR!

Had rounded up the plants last night as mentioned ... BUT, forgot the stuff outside the walkout on the back of the house, for the most part it's all looking pretty sad:(

Terry

I can feel all your disappointments 8-( Sharon that really sucks! I dubbed my zone as zone brrrr but I will pass that title on to some of you tough prairie gardeners.Hopefully this spring will not repeat itself for a long long time.Jean

We get a lot of cold weather in spring for sure, but it seems to me that it's extreme this year. We get a day or two of warmth and then cold, cold, cold. The leaves haven't even made an attempt to come out - everything's almost as bare as it was a month ago. There are catkins and puffy pussywillows, and some lilacs in Dryden are forcing out some leaves, but that's about it. Nothing here.

Ginny, i'm still watching the Africam that Sharon posted the link to a couple of years ago. If you want excitement, you can watch them go into their winter - a lot warmer than our spring! LOL The link is below. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Africam

Haven't lost anything to the SPRING yet but I haven't put anything out either. I do, however, have 3 foot glads, 6 inch cucs, squash, melons, and 3 foot tomatoes growing in my kitchen! So I can relate. And we better get the real thing BEFORE my next litter of pups are here! There is no room for my whelping box!

Ginny

Sorry to hear that Terry, hopefully they'll rebound.
Pudge, I think I can salvage them, after being in the house all day, it looks like just the tops got bitten, the bottoms still look strong.
Marcia, I can't believe you're still watching the webcam. LOL

Sharon

I sure am, Sharon, and another one besides. :) That one takes people out on game drives - someone in the back of the landrover with camera equipment. They go and find animals - you don't have to wait for them to come for a drink at the waterhole. And a lot of times, they'll focus on vegetation and different flowers. Now i want seeds from the African Star Zinnia!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Earth

Snow flurries yet again this morning ... BLAH!

This has been one of the most consistently chilly springs I can recall ... and, yes, I'm complaining! There's literally been only a couple warm mornings when one could take your coffee outside and plunk yourself down and listen to the birds, the poor birds aren't even much singing this spring, they're too busy trying to keep warm and asking themselves why in the heck had they migrated back to the frozen tundra?

Am off to Greenland and Salisbury greenhouses this morning, NOT a nice day to be going, but I'll be in the area (picking up bluegrass seed at Pickseed). At least I won't be fighting the crowds at the nurseries ... that's worth a laugh or two!

My fall planted daffodils, many are still only breaking the ground, that's nuts! Though, I do look on the bright side of things, I'm getting lots of work done and plants moved around and I'm not having to break a sweat during my hard labours! Oh, and those winter packed on pounds are melting away (the love handles stick around till late summmer, lol) and soon I'll again be seein my six pack, that's worth another laugh, lol !

Keep warm everyone and keep your spirits up and your plants warm and plugged in :)

OH BTW .... I hope no one had planted any of their warm season crops such as beans, cucs or corn, these will definitely rot in the frozen cold ground.

Terry

Won't even be frost free by the long weekend. It's going down to -6 next week!!

My bleeding heart looks rather sad. To think I was going to move it when I saw flowers forming and decided to wait. I didn't want to lose the flowers.

However, my apricot is showing signs of life, two weeks after the other fruit trees. I thought I would be cutting it down.

What really bugs me about the freezing nights is that they follow more than a week of really nice growing weather. I have tomatoes that would enjoy being planted out; but, its another 3 weeks to the recommended planting dates. I'm tempted to plant and cover with plastic jugs. Still -5C seems a bit cold for that.

I haven't even gone around and looked at anything. Too discouraging right now. And too darn cold to wander around the yard! We had s*** on the ground this morning and more is expected tomorrow. The graph on the long range forecast looks like the TSX! >:(

jpother, my bleeding heart is only a couple of inches high, I'm sure it would have gotten frozen back had it been in advanced growth. I have the golden form and it's really a striking plant!

Marcia, indeed it's discouraging, very discouraging! Even if one is not a gardener, it sure would be nice to have some warm and settled weather! Strange that we can have some beautiful balmy conditions in the dead of winter, in Feb., we had three days of +13C here at Spruce Grove and now we're having such bitter freezing crappy stuff, it's just not right!

Just wanted to add that Wallish Greenhouses (Sherwood Park, AB.) is sure a NICE place and their prices are pretty darn good also :)... I picked up a few plants there.

Terry

Here's my world this morning. Such a lovely start to the May long weekend - which, by the way, greets us with still leafless trees.

Oh, thanks Pudge for cheering us all up, lol ... that was the scene in some places in Alberta yesterday :( ... again, the word discouaging comes to mind!

Checking the two week forecast, it looks like we'd be wise to keep our plants in the greenhouse rather than doing any much planting out ...

I hope this does not end up being one of those seasons with only three weeks of summmer, I've seen that occur many times in my neck of the woods.

Terry

Good Grief Pudge!
We seem to have dodged that storm. It's moving through Manitoba, but is to the south of us.

Your pic looks like my yard!!
I HATE this weather!!
I think my plants are geting dissy from going in and out the door so often!
Kathy

GEE WHIZ, that is completely shocking Pudge! We did get some snow yesterday morning too, but nothing like that!

Here IÂm starting my annual month gardening vacation on Monday and I will not be planting any annuals till this passes.

Terry, they were right about the below normal spring, hopefully now they are right about the above normal summer.

I sure hope no hummingbirds are booking their destinations right now.

Sharon

Oh man.

I was in the Gallery. There's a thread there for May 18, 2008.

I'll just go and cry now.

I think we had about 8" of snow fall, but I understand not too far north of me got somewhere around 18", yes, that's eighteen inches.

I feel like just sitting back and having a glass (or gallon) of wine and crawling back into my warm & cozy bubble of denial.

Shazam, go back and look at the one for June 8th and you won't feel so bad!

OH YUCK..I feel for you Pudge. What a miserable way to get moisture this time of year! I am nervous..very very nervous because we have temps a little better then what was forecasted with no frost the last bit. I am waiting for the cold to sneak up on me here...Jean

Well, we had squeezed in a few nice days ... surprise, surprise! ... BUT, now temps are beginning to plummet and we're headed for more snow and cold and lows down to -7C on Monday morning ... oh, my poor plants! This has been a tortured spring!

Terry

Yes, I couldn't resist buying some perennials at the local greenhouse a week ago because they were very, very cheap (and also very small!) but now they just keep growing and I keep having to pot them up! Doesn't look like I'll be planting out by the avg. last frost date. I think I might have to wait until June. Waaaaaaaaa!

Hi Guys, I feel for all of you out west- Mother nature is definitly pissed off and letting everyone know. Pudge it looks like you are in feb. not May. It seems that this year we should all own a merry-go-round put the plants on it & stand back ,turn it on and go read a book or something.
I'm Having the same problem at the greenhouse and nursery as I'm fullllll to the rafters in plants, seedings still to be planted if I could find a spot anywhere and no place in the main greenhouses to put stuff as people are mostly looking. When the weather does break it is going to be a madhouse. I only hope and pray I can hold the plants off and keep them from getting too leggy!!!!
I too have noticed the price hike this year. I've found Superstore here has had some great finds and CHEAP. I go on my way homejust to see what's around.
Marcia you would not think you were in the same greenhouses where I work compared to when you were here last month. there isn't a spare inch of space. The lilies you were looking at are about 4ft high at least and full of buds. Met some of your friends @ the landscape design seminar and had seen them the day before at my work- small world.
Things are slow to come up here altho daffs,primulas, arabis, pulmonaria,etc are starting to flower finally.
Was hoping to hear everyones gardens were well on the way as I haven't been on lately. Let's hope summer is around the corner for all.
Take care Lois

Lois, one of those women was my sister-in-law and she bought me two more lilies for my birthday! :)

Today i bought a few 6 packs of petunias at Walmart - only $2.97 each. They're in my cold frame for now.

I'm being cautiously optimistic about the weather. It seems like it might be inching up towards normal. They're saying much higher temperatures next week - we know they lie, but if it got up to normal and stayed there, that would be good!

We finally had a nice rain last night. It was much needed. But when I got up for work this morning, the ground was white again. What happened to the global warming trend? Hmmm.

Shelley

Well, they are saying between +28-32 for 3-4 days next week...so maybe we have some global warming coming after all, lol.

Darn CHILLY mornings and pleasant afternoons, that's if it isn't cloudy or the lousy wind isn't blowing, yesterday was so MISERABLE! We are narrowing in on the longest day of the year and we have yet only had about three or four warm mornings!

A friend had said there was frost on his car this morning, darn sure there's gonna be the same again tomorrow!

Terry

We've got the same here. Back in March, it seemed so promising. Now we've got March/April temperatures in June. :-/

Several record lows were set in the province last night ... some places receiving a very hard frost ... none here, though I of course did bring the plants in last night, very tiring!

Two nice days are forecast and then it's back to the cool stuff, though we are not alone, as eastern Canada is also experiencing rather the same spring conditions ... thankfully, eh! I sure hate to see them enjoying summer temps while here we shiver most days ... LOL, LOL.

I'm not going to set out any annuals until after the next cool snap. In over 35 years of doing bedding plants, this is the LATEST I've ever been forced to delay things.

SPRING / SUMMER ... WHERE ARE YOU ???

Terry