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California Gardening

The big rains is over. Whew.

stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area

7 years ago

Not that we might not get a shower...but the big soaking cold rains are dun fer. I got my new bags of potting soil,snail bait,and tropical plant fertilizer in 20 pound sack. Roundup is near full.

I'm ready for some gardening..as Hank Jr. might say.

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Comments (5)

wcgypsy
7 years ago
Oh, Stan...you kidder, you....hahahaha...our rain count year to date stands at 88.13" so far...and that number will be going up yet again today after last night's HUGE thunderstorm downpour. It was kinda nice to listen to, tucked up all dry in the house...until I remembered that maybe I did not put the lids back on the big styrofoam cases holding all the cups of seeds already sown and waiting for Spring. Oh well, I have learned to float with the punches here, 'float' being the key word...I did sneak a quick look at the Farmers' Almanac long range forecast for the next couple of months here...saw that word, 'rain'....
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area thanked wcgypsy
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
7 years ago
In So Cal we really didn't get much rain at all in March and April. I wish we'd gotten a little more. Still, a "real" winter, the first in five years, was wonderful.
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area thanked hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
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wcgypsy
7 years ago
Several months ago, I read that we would have a La Nina year up here, wetter and colder...but I really didn't think much of it. Now I know. Still, it is an interesting experience to see how plants that did well in SoCal (cistus, etc) not only do well up here, but have held up to all of this rain and heavy, heavy, numerous frosts...and some just absolutely thrive through the Winter. I've grown Coconut Scented Geranium for many years, but had no idea it would become so lush in this climate. I'd never before gardened in a climate like this...hardly any idea at all what to expect. We do have more rain coming yet and I do hope that this Winter does not happen again, at least for a good long time...I need to be outside almost every day...

Did hear from a friend in the Sebastopol area that they've gotten 45" where they normally get 30" and the gopher holes are sinking in and becoming dangerous...LOL...
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area thanked wcgypsy
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
Original Author
7 years ago
We are up to 19" Gypsey. That's 2" more then average. Seems much more to me. The plants that like wet and cool look great,the plants that like the 8 months of our usual dry look worn with the constant rains of whatever amount.

Even our spring temperatures have been average..but it feels cool.

People who like to mix in a lot of marginal plants call this a "Zone re set" type of year. Not the most extreme like 1990..but bad enough. Of course people who like water to drink, think this is a great year-lol.
drinkmorewater
7 years ago
We got 34" on this side of the bay, which is almost twice normal. Lots of front yards in my neighborhood had switched to drought tolerants and succulents and they are looking rotten and tattered because, of course, we didn't worry about drainage when we planted. Those who held on to their lawns over the drought have lush green carpets :(

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