Among Friends

[Kachina624]

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@RedTop wrote:

Southern WV is sunny and 72 degrees today!  

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@RedTop    I hope DD is not driving in this mess in the SW today.  They've advised all truckers to park it for 24 hours.

[RedTop]

@Kachina624 

Thank you, I will let her know!  

Weather wise we should be cold with some amount of snow cover, and temps in the 20's for February.  Only 6" of snow for us all winter thus far, and only once was there actually enough snow to fully cover the grass, close to 2" that time.  The state road crews have salted and cindered, but have not had enough snow to actually scrape our road all winter.  

We still have March, which is when we've had our last 2 blizzards.

[Lilysmom1]

@On It  and everyone in the way of this be safe!

Here is a lone crocus blooming in Nova Scotia (East Coast Canada) in Feb.  Crazy!  LM

[On It]

@Lilysmom1 That little guy is a true optimist. I hope he blooms in all his glory.

We are currently having strong winds and a dust storm that has reduced visibility significantly. It is nasty out there.

[On It]

@Kachina624 You are not the only one with a dust storm. It looks like I am in West Texas. This one is way up there on the "nasty skies" scale. Wind is strong and stronger.

[Kachina624]

@On It   We had the dust, rain and a little snow all at the same time.  Temperature went from 55° at noon to 32° now, with a 74mph wind gust at the Sunport.  Today the weather is the entertainment.  9,500 people in our area without power.  I'm okay though.

[Lilysmom1]

@On It , does a dust storm kill perennials?

[On It]

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@Lilysmom1 wrote:

@On It , does a dust storm kill perennials?

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No, it just makes them wish they were dead. LOL  It is terrible air quality for breathing. Yesterday here in New Mexico huge trees fell from the wind, but the dust was not a factor. The air is filled with dust. As the wind subsides the dust settles onto the ground, plants, outdoor furniture, etc. Everything needs a good cleaning like a house that has been sitting closed up for a long period of time.

In West Texas we have sandstorms. The atmospheric conditions are right for winds to pick up sand and soil and blow it at high speeds (like sandblasting.)  It will kill crops in the fields. Farmers till the soil and use soil management techniques to prevent the damage. Occasionally a thunderstorm will cause a wind event that burns the crops and kills them.

My dad was a cotton farmer. He never used the term dust storm. He always called them sandstorms which were a threat to his livelihood. Houses on the farms are often surrounded on three sides by a row of evergreens that work as a wind shield to protect the house and landscaping from wind and sand.

[On It]

@Lilysmom1 Your gardens and landscaping are exquisite. I enjoy the photos you post and would love to see them in person. When you asked about perennials I should have responded that ours are quite different.

The mountain village where we have our second home is at an elevation of 7000 ft. The tallest peak which is our mountain view is 12,000 ft. This forest is surrounded by desert. Water is scarce and outdoor watering is prohibited using village water. Some people have private wells to water landscaping.

My house is in a forest area with elk, wild horses, deer, bear, mountain lions, and of course all of the smaller critters. These guys love to munch on garden plantings. We do not plant traditional perennials. The main perennial plant here is sage. We leave our yards with what the forest gave us and use hard scaping to get a landscaped look. Natural grass flourishes in the summer months. I have had luck growing marigolds in a planter. The critters don't usually eat them or the sage bushes and their flowers. Growing vegetables is a short season and requires fencing or a green house and a skill set I am lacking. I have never seen a tulip or a daffodil here.

My son will be here this summer. I am going to get him to post photos. I will tag you, so you can get a grasp of the place.

[Lilysmom1]

@On It , thank you for the descriptive account of your area.  If you have all that wildlife, no wonder you limit plantings.  I would love to see photos.  We live on two acres and have our own well.  We have not had water supply issues to date (been here 17 years) but I now look for drought resistant perennials when I shop.  Love sage, especially Russian sage.  Those marigolds are tough and a favorite!

Looking forward to some photos.  LM