Finally Some April Rain

Severe weather was forecast for last night.  Heavy rain could fall to our east and significant snow to our west.  The tarp was put on the lily sod house as a precaution that, as it turned out, was unnecessary.    Since Ed waited until the rain actually started to haul out the tarp, he worked alone to cover the lilies.  A concern was expressed that the water filled juice bottles holding down the tarp might wind up on top of the precious lilies.  That is exactly what happened.

It seems that enough water was trapped in a low area of the tarp to pull the tarp and its weights down onto the lilies.  New Pandora bulbs were just beginning to show above ground growth when the sky fell upon them.  Pot rims provided sufficient support for the tarp and no damage was actually done to the new growth.  Once again dumb luck trumps skill.  Ed is not  a slow learner so a new tarp holding system is in the works.
 

This area of the shade garden looks rather impressive.  Transplanted bluets have made themselves at home here and several newly seeded clumps are growing strongly.  Many sprinkler cans full of water were carried here to help these plants through our April drought.  Elsewhere the garden went dust dry but the shade garden was kept moist.

This fringed polygala was an early concern.  Normally its evergreen rose colored leaves survive winter.  Following this year's snow less winter,  no trace of this plant could be found.  All of its leaves were gone.  Thin dark purple stems wound among the leaf litter and I watered what appeared to be dead sticks.  Daily inspections of this treasured plant found little change.  Finally some vertical shoots appeared.  It looks like this transplanted native is a go for its third year in its new home.  Natural rainfall should move it along nicely.

Disaster Averted

Yesterday was a weather pleasant day.  Clear skies and warm afternoon air made overnight frost seem unlikely.  A steady wind from the north was an easily overlooked clue that frost was waiting in the wings.  Fortunately our local weather forecaster posted a frost advisory and we put our modified lily sod house with its new tarp cover to the test.  Partially water filled plastic juice bottles provided weight to hold the tarp in place.  A wake up temperature of 30 F placed a skin of ice inside of the bottles.  Icicles grew down from the water surface looking like cave stalactites.  Temperature inside the tarp, measured at ground level, was 37 F.  Newly emerging lily tips were spared a freeze.

These purchased trout lily, Erythronium, leaves were painted by frost.  The more narrow brown mottled leaves of our native trout lilies were unmarked.  Positioned nearer the ground they escaped frost markings.  Just how the frost swirls around is poorly understood here.  In the upper photo the grass at the base of the slope remains green showing no trace of frost.  In the calm night air the cold seems to pour downhill striking some areas while skipping over other spots.

Frozen Quaker Ladies, Houstonie bleue, flowers present a striking image.  When the sunlight melts the frost these flowers will look bright and fresh unfazed by being frozen.

Becky and I removed the tarp.  It did a great job.  We carefully folded the 16 by 24 foot tarp and put it away in the shed.  We are going to get a lot of practice in tarp handling.  Frost warnings have been issued again tonight. I guess by the time we get really terrific at doing this  we won't need to do it anymore!