So.... it's not too hard/stressful for the plants to get pelted with rain and totally soaked in their first day out? I don't care about getting wet when I'm out there planting, it's not like it will be continuous rain and I shouldn't need to step into the soil in the garden to do my planting (I have stepping stones/boards throughout the garden beds). I was just under the impression that the plants wouldn't transition well if they got inundated right at transplant time. Thanks for the quick feedback... I'll plan to get those cool crops in this afternoon and the tomatoes this weekend as planned!

my guess.. the trees wont care about getting up a little late ... they will get the job done ... anything other than drought is good ... one thing i have noticed.. with the flowering trees and shrubs.. with all the cool weather.. the flowers are not really all that delayed.. and are incredible in shear volume ... my guess there is that we think its cold.. but the soil is thawed.. and they are doing what they are doing.. EARLY ... but without the frost/freeze problems in a normal z5 spring.. so no bud loss ... ken

Thanks to all for the nice comments. I have been posting a lot on the other new website. I don't think I'm supposed to say the name here (MD). But I have been looking at everyone elses posts here. It is just so much work to post pictures to Photobucket then post them in here. Thanks to everyone for your pretty pictures. I have really enjoyed them. Dot

On my land, seedlings come and go . In wet years they proliferate . Deer eat some and some survive and then the dry years come and most die. These last 10 years have been awful for tree regeneration. We usually have one good year if we are lucky followed by several dry years that kill off the seedlings.I cage them in the wet years to protect them from browsing only to have them disappear in the dry years from lack of water . I have seen this more than once. It is irritating to see my efforts fail.The last couple of years have been good for trees. I do have some that after this wet summer to come ( with the developing strong Midoki El Niño) should be getting strong enough to make it through some dry spells that are coming. I am seeing some three year old trees. This gives me a lot of hope. The two oceans are "flipping" into a cooling off period and that means more extended droughts for Texas just like in the 50's. More La Niñas then her wet brother. This year I need to cage the best trees and map them. I need to set up an irrigation system that will give me some way to get water to them so I do not loose all of them when the drought worsens . I got lots of babies but I need teenagers and young adults. I have decided to ramp up my efforts and change the formula by adding supplemental water in the heat of the summer.. I was out walking and found two more madrones and some escarpment black cherries, bumela and many red Oaks. . A small twister took some of the old Spanish oaks down but a small one is under what was the parent tree. I am hoping that something might come up from the roots.