I can't complain here. We've had two nights below freezing (just last night, -4 C) but neither time has there been any damage. My plants are way ahead of this time last year, or the year before that for that matter - delphs and some of the peonies are over a foot high, Doronicum (Leopards Bane) started blooming today and it looks like Dianthus will start soon. The goldfinches have been back for a couple of weeks, and the weeds are growing like mad - I see the dandelions are strutting their stuff.

We're still supposed to get a few more cooler nights, right around the freezing mark. When I woke up this morning - way too early for someone to be up - the rooftops were all white and so were most of the lawns. Yikes. I was eyeing up my Alliums in the rock garden thru the window, even used the bino's to see if I could determine if they were dying from the cold. I'd hate to lose this year's bloom but they're too big to cover now. Thankfully they were all right.

I always say that April is nicer than May. There's even a stinkin rotten cold May Long forecast... as usual.

That's good news about the alliums Pudge. Amazing how perennials are so hardy when they sprout outdoors.

It hasn't been the warmest spring here(they say its normal)..and it is really dry..but it seems regardless of the weather plants keep growing along,but it is hard not to compare it to last years exceptional spring..savona

Well, it's freezing cold in Thunder Bay too.
Bulb catalogue, Marcia - Yikes!
Had some time today so was out working in the front yard on a project that is a 'work in progress' - I'm sure that the neighbours think that I've lost it...oh, well.
Too much work, too little time to let a little thing like the weather slow us down!
Margaret

I was hoping to get into the backyard and start cleaning it up but the weather for the weekend looks lousy. I still have the dead stuff from last fall to clean up. The new shoots from this year are growing right through it. I also have tons of suckers from the plum tree that I have to rip out. I am almost thinking of killing the plum tree because of the suckers that are right through my perennial bed. Anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of those suckers (pun intended)? The front yard looks good so I am happy about that.
Danni

Well I'm rather happy because it finally started raining and its the first drop of anything white or wet that we've had since sometime in March! Boy was it getting dry. It filled my water barrell by the house by about lunch time.

Watering isn't usually an issue here until closer to July but I've watered things a couple times. Including the lilacs. I actually got the lawn fertilized and potash on the garden before it started raining...ok I was out spreading the potash in my hat and gumboots just as it started! Now if it would only stop...

I agree with you Margaret, I think it sets us northerners apart--gardening come rain or snow! Our season is just to short to let it set you back. Besides if the weather's bad this time of year just wait five minutes...it'll change!
Tootsie

It's still cool and rainy here but we did need the moisture too. We had almost no precipitation in April (what do they say about April showers? LOL).

Seems this time of year is so frantic, trying to get everything done and waiting on the weather is so frustrating. I usually only have Sundays that i can devote the whole day to gardening - our church is Saturday evening, so i have to be inside by 3:00 or 3:30 in order to shower off all the muck! :)

Oh boy are we getting the rain as well, last night while I was at work, a big loud crack of thunder ripped right above us, all us girls jumped about 3 feet! Scary! Again, we're forecasted for a thundershower this afternoon.

Anyways it's so refreshing outside after a good rain, you all know that smell I'm talking about, invigorating isnÂt it! Should be nice and warm for Monday & Tuesday here.

Environment Canada says we're in for above normal temps for the next 3 months, do you suppose there are going to be right this time? LOL

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Environment Canada

dang... whenever Canada is above average, Alaska tends to below average (you can see some blue spots in YT)

We have had a cool spring (barely any tree leaves yet) but I don't think that we are out of the range of average.

Kim

It rained most of the night, and dawned clear and sunny! Gotta love it! We didn't get the thunder, just steady rain and it amounted to just over an inch--perfect! Snow on the mountains. Only now I have to wait for the garden to dry up a bit before I can get my peas in the ground.

I've heard conflicting weather rumours for the summer(what's new!). The almanac, I thought, said plenty of moisture all summer and then a dry fall, but a dry summer is what I'm hearing locally, with a wet and snowy fall. Go figure.

Toots

How's this for above normal....

Today 25C and tomorrow a high of 31C!

Do I hear someone say Sunblock 30 ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: 5 day Forecast for Wainwright

Shaddap! :)

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

&%*#@ Wainwright! (just kidding!!)

It's been soooo chilly here! Good weather for working outdoors, I keep telling myself. No mosquitoes.

We have mosquitoes here in the Brandon area. Just one here and one there, not enough to have to put on mosquito lotion, yet. Still great though to work outside, temperature wise.

Brenda

We had mosquitoes last night in the Calgary area.

We have both mosquitoes (mutant ninja ones) and black flies here. How pleasant. :>

Keep them! All of you! I am proud to report that I haven't seen one yet this year... yeah I know, they're coming. It's been pretty dry though, that helps. And cool lately too.

The mosquitos are crazy here. They are talking about spraying our town. (Never Before) We bought a fogger on Sunday. What an improvement.
I put most of my vegetable garden in the last 2 days. I have 2 spots and the one has a quite a bit of clay in. It is still quite wet. Well, the potatoes will either rot or have lots of moisture to grow. Some peoples low lying gardens are too wet to plant yet. I consider myself lucky. We don't need rain. Luckily there is only sunshine in the forecast.
I planted six budded Sub-artic tomato plants. Usually I don't put out tomatoes yet, but I bought kozy coats to put around them. They are quite the pain to fill with water. But I hope they work well. With lots of sun I should be eating tomatoes early in July. Mmmm... Maybe tomorrow I'll plant out a couple more tomato plants without the coats, just to see the difference.
Shelley

The mosquitoes are crazy here too! This evening, I was just about to go into the greenhouse when all of a sudden I could hear a hum, like an air conditioner or how your computer sounds like, here above me was a black swarm of mosquitoes! I quickly ran into the house and put some spray on. Unbelievable, the last time I saw them this thick was at Candle Lake at the boat dock years ago.

Sharon

It got up to 29 here yesterday with a thunder storm in the evening. Its supposed to be nice and warm for the next week here as well. Only a few mosquitos here though....so far.

Sierra

Hi everyone
No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth. Just been sooooo busy and tired. But, at least it's now a good tired. Still sick (2 1/2 weeks now) with this bad cold, too. But, I just came in for a breather. It is 9 AM and it already seems too hot to be working. Must be my fever again. Today is going to be a blast furnace out there and I've got so much digging to do yet. I've been out there since 7:30, already. Don't worry - we'll send some of this weather east. We've got lots of high Alberta temps. to share. LOL Just remember this, though, when you accuse us of sending you an "Alberta clipper" next time. LOL

I've been getting a few mosquito bites already. Nasty little critters. I didn't think we had had enough moisture for them to have this many already. I'm going to try to talk DH into getting a fogger or a zapper. New thread.

Well, better get back to digging. Can't plant 'til the diggin's dun!

Shauna

We were putting up pea fence last night, and the mosquitoes were horrible. DS and I were both doing the bug-slap dance while DH went in to get the spray. After that we finished the job, but the bloodthirsty little beggars were back chomping through clothes in 30 minutes.
Connie

The mosquitoes have been horrible here too -- my youngest had these HUGE HUGE mosquito bites all over her for the past 2 days and I've even given her some antihistamine for them (plus her other allergies).

This heat wave has been unreal... warmer then last July for crying out loud! What's up with this? What's July going to be like? LOL *** Joining Shauna in trying to blow this heat out east for all of you ***

Ang

Today and yesterday were beautifully hot here, too! Do my plants ever need it!

Did anyone else have a major hatching of big gross disgusting flying ants a couple days ago? OMG!! The ground was crawling with them and the water in the troughs and water dishes were covered with them!

I thought it was just around our yard but the neighbor told me she had to give up working outside because they kept hitting her! GROSS! Talk about doing a dance! Get one (or 50!) caught in your hair and you'll be definately doing a slap dance!
I've never seen them that thick bfore.

Toots

PS I hate to jinx myself but the skeeters haven't been too too bad here yet. Probably the dryness here too.