For those around Philly…
jojoco
6 years ago
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MtnRdRedux
6 years agocyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoRelated Discussions
Holy Cow! Philly in Drought Emergency Again!
Comments (50)Well - here's an update about what's happening around our area. Apparently yet another media-ignored (I saw it today in a story from weather.com) Drought update occurred on December 19 for the state of Pennsylvania. Looks like the Drought Warning has been completely lifted and we skipped over Drought Watch back to "Normal". Here is the latest map and here is the latest press release. There are currently 13 out of 67 counties under "Drought Watch" (the lowest designation) and the rest of the state is "Normal". The past month has had quite a bit of precipitation, with weekly and sometimes twice-weekly Nor'easters, with plenty of rain, and of late, snow. I think that big snow of Dec. 5 seemed to cap it for the immediate 5-county area and this last storm, from Dec. 24 - 25, , although resulting in only a few inches of snow in SE PA, did give us quite a bit of rain during the peak of it. I think that in itself, may have been enough to possibly trigger a future "Normal" status for places like Delaware, Berks, and possibly as far west as Lancaster & York Counties. Even recent lake effects since the last declaration, might have helped in Erie, but we'll see. Will continue to monitor as the winter goes on....See MorePhilly Show and NYBG Orchid Show
Comments (3)These are two very interesting comments, since I actually thought the Philadelpdia Flower Show was one of the better ones I've seen. . .but Ginny's observation, now that I reflect on my visit, may be quite accurate: there may have been fewer flowering plants than the past, and almost NO introduction of new plants, which has always been one of the hallmarks of the Philly show. Hard times this season for the nursery trade? After faithfully trudging to this show every year (for what seems like an eternity!), I have developed the habit of rooting out the often overlooked uniqueness of some of the smaller exhibits, rather than just being bowled over by (or yawning over) the major exhibitors. This year was no exception: the bulb specialist, Jacque Armand, delivered the most cohesive (and breathtakingly beautiful) display that I can recall from this veteran. Another favorite: the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades (really!) presented an intense Tuscan landscape - house, terrace and garden, in exquisite detail - but the best part of it (and missed by many!) was the compelling video catalogue of the whole projects genesis, from initial design to final installation at the show, with the video cleverly tucked away beneath a shrub so as not to detract from the exhibit. Also fascinating: the Temple Univ. ("Yeah, KT!") Ambler Schools' use of copper gutter as a design element in a garden, complete with an incredibly lovely "rain curtain" - but best of all, all the copper led to a series of water spills which ended up as the center of a "water table". . . picture a large stone table whose center rectangle was a shimmering surface of constantly recyled water. I can just imagine eating dinner there and asking someone at the far end of the table to "please pass the salad". . .and then they would just float the salad bowl down to you !!! Ah, ha! All of which makes me realize that I tend to look at the Flower Show very much from a designer perspective, not just as massive floral display. . .which might explain the difference in perception. But, honestly, there is just so MUCH going in that vast Convention Hall, that there's bound to be something for everyone. One of my favorites has always been the numerous "competitions", and these Delaware Valley gardeners are deadly serious about what they're doing! This year, there were the usual table settings, porch entryways, balcony baskets, huge "themed" urn plantings, some novel "sustainable" back yards - and a new one, I don't ever recall seeing: "Elegante Craveat", or men's ties decorated with pressed plant materials! Much of the fun of these competitive exhibits is comparing YOUR impressions with those of the judges (they are judged twice during the Show: once during Saturday preview, and again on Wednesday) - it's not that unusual for a single exhibit to win the blue (1st) one day, but only get yellow (3rd) from a second judge. . .but ALL the judges' notes are posted for ALL entries so you can follow their thought process. In a post earlier this month, I fantisized about spending an entire week at the Show, attending ALL the lectures and demos, ferreting out every possible detail from every exhibit. Well, I got a preview of that experience: after my knee gave out after only six hours on Wednesday, I returned on Sunday (closing day) for another four hours - and accidentally discovered something worth knowing. . .the Show opens at 8:00am on Saturday and Sunday (I had always gone at 10:00am weekdays, deliberately avoiding the legendary weekend crowds), and when I turned up a 8:00am yesterday morning, I practically had the place to myself! What an unmitigated joy to roam about without the usual attendant high-energy crowd activity. . .and it REMAINED relatively tranquil throughout the first two hours, only slowly picking up after 10:00am. When I checked out at noon, I felt as if I'd just had a private showing. . .the only other time it gets like that is mid-week evenings after 6:00pm. An old-timer working the info booth confirmed my observation. . .she warned that the first Sunday at 8:00am was a zoo (opening day), but the last Sunday morning was one of the best-kept secrets of show attendance! So: one more Flower Show to go ("Springfest", later this week in Northwestern New Jersey) and then it's "Off to the Races", Spring officially arrives and we can all fall back into our annual cycle of creativity and craziness for another season - see you in the garden ! Carl...See MoreWhat are those 'pink' shrubs around malls???
Comments (8)Burning bush does not seed around enough here to be problematic and is not considered an invasive species in this area. In fact, in the 20 or so years I have had one (a monster, NOT the compact form), it has managed very little in the way of seed production. Even flowering is pretty insignificant. While it is always important to be aware of invasive potential, it is also important to remember that invasiveness nearly always has a regionality associated with it. Very few plants are considered uniformly invasive across the board in a very wide distribution. What is often considered an invasive species on the east coast is generally not of similar concern on the west coast, as our milder climate doesn't encourage seed production or ripening. Some very common landscape plants, like the euonymus, Japanese barberries or Nandina (heavenly bamboo) have the ability to set seed and spread freely in many areas of the east and midwest and are considered invasive species there. But they do not share the same habits here and - so far - are NOT considered invasive. For a more locally oriented listing of invasive species, check out the state listing or Garden Wise, a local publication sponsored by the WA State Invasive Species Coalition and member nurseries that offers alternate suggestions to potentially invasive plants. Here is a link that might be useful: Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board....See MoreAre you coming? Especially those around ND
Comments (1)I wish We could come this year! We came up there about 10 or so years ago when Jack Benny and the Statler Brothers were there and it was great! I love the vendors and the entertainment too. I love lufsee (spelling?) and my brother and sil manage to find some when we come up there or else my nieces make it!...See Moremaire_cate
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