This excellent female Northern Flicker came by the herb bed and investigated all the nooks and crannies while I was eating breakfast this morning! I told her the front yard had a lot of earwigs if that interested her.
Spring is really springing today. It’s very humid and warm too though no substantial rain yet despite forecast.
Widow sedum is growing a lot since I put seedlings here in fall. Possibly dill seedlings. Blackberry is leafing out. Red lake currant is budding. Pink champagne currant budding too. Native “Crandall” currant budding. I just got it this winter. Native field violet or “johnny jump up” (Viola bicolor I think) is blooming in front yard near non-native chickweed (white flower) and non-native henbit (between the chickweed and the violet). Spinach is a bit chewed on. I don’t know when the lettuce grew this size but it feels sudden. “Rhubarb” Swiss chard (named for red stems).New Kuroda carrot. The other two carrot varieties are also up. I put jars over these first few in case bunnies like them like they like the mizuna and bok choy. Mustard greens untouched.Radishes getting adult leaves. Collard greens from Judy sprouting. In the plant window, mammolo (green ones) and red rubin (red ones) basil have been up a few days now.
Well, on the way out to walk the dog, I started lifting up some tubs and towels to let things have sun and see what survived. I’ll go out again later and see about the kohlrabi and one cabbage as the chef wants them for dinner. Any feedback on whether to trim back the damaged perennials (irises, garlic, rosemary) would be appreciated!
The saffron leaves seem intact. Strawberries with the saffron seem okay too! These were all under a towel and a tub. The cilantro was under a tub. It died. The leaves of cilantro in the cactus planter also died, but there appeared to be some live bright green at the base. We’ll see if it grows back. This native plant rosette (I think Gaillardia?) seems fine and i didn’t cover it or its neighbors at all. It had more snow on it during the coldest cold. The oregano in the herb bed by the plant window looks a little worse for the wear. It had two plastic tubs over it. Some leaves look damaged but some seem maybe okay. Both the front and backyard faucets and pipes seem to have survived!!! That’s a relief. I opened both slightly for a few minutes, just in case to clear any bits of ice out, but it was all liquid coming out that I could see or hear. Whew! Front yard strawberries seem overall okay on the northwest side. These had towels and tubs in the center, and just towels around the planter base. Even the un-toweled leaves seem okay so far. Other parts of the bed had an aluminum trash can lid and leaves over them. I’m feeling pretty optimistic. The irises by the mailbox got frozen. Anybody know if I should trim them back or just let them regrow on their own? Most of the rosemary is now a very dead looking brown-green, but at the base of at least one there is still life (the brighter green branches) so I hope they can all grow back. Presumably insulation from snow helped the base. Like the irises, the garlic is very unhappy. I hope they too will grow back from their roots.
Garlic under the snow from Thursday. Front nook from Thursday. Dog for scale. Front nook on Friday. Dog scale not cooperating. Melting progress in front nook as of Friday night. Dog cooperated this time. Front nook early afternoon Saturday. Plant window and herb garden from Friday. The Norman official temperature made it to 32°F.Plant window and herb bed as of early afternoon Saturday. Backyard cactus planter, cilantro, and strawberries/saffron bed coverings on Friday. Not related to melting, there were two crows eating suet mix on Friday. Front yard raised beds beginning to be exposed again on early afternoon Saturday.
This picture is from yesterday (Wednesday) showing the additional inch or three of snow on the herb garden-to-be! Morning walk. The raised beds sure are buried! Only Gram’s favorite mousie will play right now. Good thing it’s walk time now!
