Let Me Off This Ride

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the temperatures this winter have been more of a roller coaster ride of highs and lows than in the past. For the latest example, the high temperatures on Friday and Saturday were in the low to mid 80s. A cold front blew through early Sunday morning bringing falling temperatures and sleet. The low temperature on Monday morning is expected to be around 14 with a wind chill near zero. 

On weekends when the temperatures climb into comfortable levels, I get out and do a little work around the garden.


Spring is just around the corner, so it is time to clean up the front garden. I "mowed" the dead growth on the grasses and perennials with hedge trimmers. I hope some of those tree leaves will blow away now that there are not as places for them to get snagged.


I am getting the urge to move the stock tank again. It was not an easy task when I moved it last year and I swore "never again". I like it where it is, but I think the possumhaw holly next to it may be too close. So "never" may come this spring.


The "bones" of the garden a visible now. Rocks, cactus, yucca, possumhaw, pathways, and a roving stock tank all add structure to the garden.


Scattered clumps of narcissus, one of my few non-natives, add a little sunshine on cloudy days. This photo was taken a few days ago.


Today, the temperature roller coaster came crashing down and the narcissus are bowing closer to the ground.


It is almost as if they are staring in disbelief at the sleet on the ground. It was so warm yesterday.


Frozen broccoli and frozen asparagus are on the menu tonight.


The asparagus started popping up in the last week. There are about six spears that are visible. I snapped off the tall one and another one that was about the same size. Some of the others that are coming up are much thicker. 


I did not pick this Romanesco broccoli. I think it will grow more, provided it does not succumb to the freeze. Just yesterday a cabbage white butterfly was laying eggs on the broccoli and today it is frozen solid and covered in ice. I hope the cold kills the eggs. The caterpillars taste bitter.




After tomorrow, the temperatures will begin to climb again. I am sure there will be a few more dips before the steady climb into summer. Maybe this will be the last big dive for the season.

Ice Ice Baby

I know. I should not have done it and I am sure I am not the only person to make this reference today, but I could not help referring to a song that made Dallas native Robert Van Winkle (better known as Vanilla Ice) famous. The year was 1990 and the song was Ice Ice Baby. Why would I make a reference to this one-hit wonder? Not because I like the song (which I don't) but because when I look out the window or turn on the TV, all I see is ice, ice, baby.

Just Wednesday, the high temperature was 77 degrees. And then, an arctic cold front blew through and temperature dropped below freezing by Thursday afternoon. Rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow began falling Thursday night and now everything is coated in a layer of ice. The ice should stick around for a while because the temperature is not expected to rise above freezing until, possibly, Sunday afternoon.


Four Nerve Daisy blooms almost all year, even when coated in ice.


The Horsetail Reed in the stock tank is frozen solid.


Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye still has flowers and is now frozen in time.


Little Bluestem and Pine Muhly grassicles in the front garden.


The ice is weighing down the limbs of several woody plants like the Flameleaf Sumac behind the Agave. The leaves of the Flameleaf began turning orange last week. The were not flaming enough to keep the ice away.


The leaves of the Possumhaw Holly have not dropped yet which provides additional attachment points for the ice and increases the weight on the limbs.


Even the thorns on the Hercules Club tree are coated in ice.


Looking across the front garden in the opposite direction.


A close up of a Pine Muhly grassicle.


Soapweed Yucca.


It is hard to tell that this is Mexican Feathergrassicle.


I have noticed that my Pale-leaf Yucca and Spineless Prickly Pear Cactus lose some of their normal blue tint when they are frozen.


Cactusicles.


A closer look at Little Bluestem grassicle.


The Weeping Yaupon Holly looks like it was frozen in mid-weep.


I am six and a half feet tall and I used to be able to walk under the red oak in my backyard. Now several of the limbs touch the ground.


When the wind blows, the ice covered leaves clink together like the crystal on a chandelier.  But the ice storm came at a bad time because so many trees are still full of leaves.


As I mentioned before, the ice coated leaves and branches creates extra weight and sometimes the weight becomes too much and the branches snap. I saw two broken branches on my red oak. The wind picks up occasionally and it could will cause more broken limbs before this is all over. I changed "could" to "will" because I just watched another branch bend and break under the weight of the ice.


Both my Desert Willows are weeping severely.


So much so that both have major splits and will need to be cut to the ground. I have been expecting this to happen. I always loose my Desert Willows when they reach this size. They either split or the wind causes them to lean too much. After I cut them down, they will probably resprout from the stump.


Even with the numbing effects of the Toothache Tree, this broken branch was painful to see. I considered removing this branch over the summer because I thought it could improve the shape of tree. I decided to leave it and now there is a nasty wound almost halfway through the trunk. This tree had not shed its leaves either.


I removed a few Desert Willow limbs so they would not crush any other plants. I was a little surprised at how heavy the ice coated limbs were.


Next door, my neighbor's pecan tree was blocking the alley.


And their driveway. I have a feeling that arborists and opportunists that do not know anything about proper tree pruning techniques will be busy hacking at trees over the next few weeks.

Since several of my trees are breaking from the weight of the ice, it is good timing that I received two trees in the mail today. I received a Texas Redbud and a Bur Oak through a partnership between my electric delivery provider, Oncor, and the Arbor Day Foundation. The best part is that the trees were free. You may qualify for free trees too. The Arbor Day Foundation partnered with other utilities to help customers reduce utility costs by planting shade trees around their homes. Here is the link to the website. http://energysavingtrees.arborday.org. 

Spring Snow

About five inches of snow covered the Prairie on the second day of Spring.

Above are the newly planted Yucca pallida that replace two Agave americana that were damaged by the winter weather.

Here is an interesting snow drift caused by the strong winds blowing around a spineless prickly pear. I do not know the variety. It was sold as "Wimpy Prickly Pear". I relocated this cactus after removing an agave. The brown specks on the snow are chaff from surrounding oaks leafing out.

The flower of a four nerve daisy pokes through the snow. Looks like the rabbits nibbled on a few petals.

The backyard Prairie. The drifts along the fence were over three feet high.

A junco seeks shelter in the Flowering Senna, Senna corymbosa. This senna may have succumbed to the cold or at least died to the roots. It is a native of Argentina and is considered to be somewhat sensitive to cold weather.

Temperatures are expected to be in the 60s tomorrow, so the snow should be gone by the time I get home from work. Maybe Spring will begin in earnest now.

More Snow on the Prairie

I awoke this morning to find snow on the Prairie. It was a light, fluffy, wet snow. The kind of snow that makes a pretty picture for Christmas cards. It was so nice, that I decided I needed a snow day so I took the day off work. I may take another one tomorrow because the snow has not let up and it is expected to fall until the early hours on Friday morning. So far, DFW Airport – the official weather station for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex – has recorded 9.4 inches of snow for today. That's a record one-day total for this area.

I took a couple of pictures of the snow on the Prairie – the fourth time this winter – and decided to go on a field trip to the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve for a change of scenery. Arbor Hills is a 200-acre park in the City of Plano with trails through upland forest, riparian forest, and blackland prairie features. Arbor Hills is an natural jewel in a city often maligned for its suburban sameness and manicured lawns.

Welcome signs describe the three primary landscape characteristics at Arbor Hills

A pavilion at the entrance to Arbor Hills

A flock of Cedar Waxwings enjoyed the snow from the top of this group of trees.

A close up of the Cedar Waxwings

A snowy pathway

Approaching the Observation Tower

One of the views from the Observation Tower

Leaving the Observation Tower

Lichen and snow on a tree trunk

The bright red berries of Possumhaw Holly, Ilex decidua

The snow is pretty, but bring on Spring!