Very true, yardman. I live in central Oakland County (in the Bloomfields), and I've had only one snow that was worth my bother of getting out my plow and doing my driveways and the back yard for the dog to run. And, that one was marginal, only about 2 1/2 inches, but since the plow is kept hooked up and ready at a moment's notice, it was just as easy as doing it by hand. But, it was also a heavy, wet snow. Anything less or lighter I just do by hand.

Per Dave Rexroth on Chanel 7 this morning, we have had about 16 inches to date this year, versus 48 last year at the same date.

Which is fine with me.

However, in the PRECIPITATION totals, we are probably at least at, if not above, normal. It's just that we had a couple of systems go through on the warm side as rain, the Christmas day one and the one a few weeks back here in January that melted most of the snow.

Interesting to see what the rest of winter brings, and how long the cold will persist. Last year, November was beastly cold, snow came early, and then March was very spring-like. This year, with a warm November, I hope the winter isn't worse on the tail end.

This sounds like a jinx in the making.

Weird is one word for this winter. December was more like late January or February--it snowed enough to shovel. The first two weeks of January were very mild then the arctic cold. Now that it's February--very sunny, no snow cover, not even a cloud. Then there were the wind storms--up to hurricane force (with heavy rain). Oh, and all the East coast storms apparently were on a schedule--all arrive on Friday or Saturday. Next one due to arrive on--you guessed it, Saturday!--I remember winters in the Northeast to be much cloudier (not that I am complaining mind you).

I agree with the jinx theory. Bite your tongues LOL! But yes I agree, very dry, I heard we're in an El Nino weather pattern? Warmer than average too regarding nighttime lows. So far coldest we got down to (in Grosse Ile) is 5 degrees above zero. Last winter we got down to -12, coldest in years. I guess this was a good year to try cactus unprotected. My prickly pear are doing fine, laying down a little, but definitely look fine.

Livonia here, I think we got about 5 inches once and a 2-3 inch fall twice. I love it. We have not even sniffed below zero tems here (knock on wood). I think 5 is about the lowest I have heard. Once we get to march the chances of below zero really shrink. Has anyone here in the Detroit are tried bananas (musa Basjoo) inside over the winter? I planted three last summer and put two in the grownd and kept one in a pot. The one in the pot grew slower but I brought it in before the 1st frost. I have been very happy with how it is doing. It puts up about 1 leaf/2weeks. It is in a north-wqest facing window and gets a few hours of direct morning sun. Coconuts are doing very well. I have them over heat mats which i have not done before so the soil stays in the high 70s and they are in south facing windows.

Are you sure you live in Michigan?
Morning sun in a north west window and no snow?

I agree,you guys jinxed yourselves (-;

Watch out late Feb/March when you make up your snow deficit. )-:

Yardman -- I got an e-mail I think was from you, but my computer blipped as I was reading it, and it was lost, apparently forever. I think you were asking what kind of out-of-zone stuff I've got outdoors.

Well, the short list is: agapanthus, alstroemeria, crinums, pineapple lilies, Southern magnolias, a Giant Sequoia, lots of bamboos of various kinds, Ruscus, and I'm sure others, but they escape me at the moment.

I'm overwintering a lot of various palms in the greenhouse, packed in with foamboard, fiberglass, and dry leaves, supplemented with CFC lights, and I ran the little electric space heater five or six nights so far, ran my bill up about $25 over the regular amount, which I can afford.

Andyandy -- Musa basjoo overwintering indoors -- all the time, my friend. Bananas are easy to overwinter indoors. I stick mine down in the basement in late October in total darkness, don't water them at all, and ignore them until April. I've got like 9 or 10 of them, including Basjoo, and have been doing this for five or six years. In that time, I've lost two of them to rot.

Of course, if I had the room to keep them going as houseplants, that would work to, but I don't, so I just store them like giant bulbs.

Andyandy and Denninmi,

It's great to know other locals are interested in this crazy stuff like I am.

I am really trying to get into bananas and bamboo, but could not find any last season.

I already have a small grove of bamboo, but it is in the shade and really doesn't do to well.

I have a Chinese Palm and a Saw Palmetto in the ground. They have both done very well and look good during my late January peek.

I'd love to see what you guys have and share ideas.

This is what I have in my yard so far (2 acres):

2 chinese palm;
1 saw palmetto;
3 clumping bamboo (?);
1 monkey puzzle tree;
lots of prickly pear;
1 cholla cactus;
1 devils tongue cactus;
(some unknown ) succulents;
a passion vine; and
a partridge in a fig tree (just kidding about the partridge).

Also, 2-varieties of yuccas.

Let me know if we want to do a swap come Spring.

Does anyone local want my (bought during 2008 15 gallon trachy)? Im moving early this spring and don't have friends or family that would be interested in cold frames. It's in my garage resting in a garbage can.

Frmmi, YES I would definitely be interested in your trachy. I planted one in my yard last spring, and was planning on buying another one to plant opposite the one I already have to balance things out in the landscape. How can I get a hold of you? Very interested here.

Yardman-
Let me know if you would like some banana pups. I'll hae all you need in the spring when they start popping up. I know I'm going to dig some up and start spreading them to other parts of my yard.

Frmmi - If it doesn't work out for Island Breeze, I would be glad to take it off of your hands. I live in Troy and work in Macomb, so it would be an easy endeavor to get the Trachy.

Andyandy - Yes, I would love some banana pups, are they musa basjoo? Have you overwintered them at all?

To either of you, I have an abundance of Prickly Pear (hardy native Michigan) that I can share as well.

Yardman-
The two I left in the ground I left about 18 inches of trunk, warpped them in bouble wrap, covered them in straw and then (when we had snow) burried them in snow. The other is growing in my living room. We'll touch base when things start to warm up and the inground one start growing again. Have any of you heard a summer 20010 forecast for the great lakes? The last totally crappy summer we had (2004) was followed by the warmest June August (2005) on record.

Andy-

In this area of MN, the last 6 summer months the past 2 years have been below normal. I haven't seen a real heat wave since July of 2006. Last June i thought we were turning the corner with that short little heat wave we had, and then July turned out to be one of the coldest on record.

I think odds are we see at least 1 or 2 of the summer months avg out above normal.

The computer models i've seen show a cold summer for the midwest, but computer models that far out are worthless.

Andy
I don't believe any forecast that goes out beyond 10,000 years

My email is awmanzel at yahoo dot com. Thanks for your interest in my palm.