February 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Robert]

Akke,

Thank you so much for sharing the scenes from your container garden and the scenes from around your town. I liked the blooming reticulata type Iris. We grow Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’ in our garden. I divided the bulbs this winter and the plants have yet to bloom. There are large flower buds, so it will not be long until they are in bloom. I would like to grow other Iris reticulata varieties, but they are very difficult to find in our area. The same is true for Crocus species. BTW – Do you grow any Crocus species from seed? Anyway, thank you for sharing so much. The mass display of Galanthus in public settings looks very nice!


The first day of February was clear and cold with blustery north winds. Winds gusted to 40 mph (17.88 mps), with sustained wind speeds of 25 mph (11.18 mps). The temperature today was -1.95 F (-1.08 C) below the 30-year average for 1 February. It was extremely dry. There was very little moisture in the atmosphere. I spent the afternoon watering plants in the garden. January is the peak of the winter precipitation season in our part of Northern California. It has not rained for 25 days, and the 7-day forecast indicates that there will be no precipitation. After this wind storm, above average temperatures are forecasted. We are currently stuck in a stable Rossby Wave pattern (Planetary Wave) with a strong blocking pattern in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Although recently there have been some major changes in the Equatorial Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, these changes have not translated into a resumption of the what was once normal winter storm pattern for our region. The snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is slowly melting and conditions are extremely dry for this time of year. A continuation of these dry conditions will be tough on our garden as well as natural ecosystems in our region.



The early spring blooming season has started in our Sacramento, California garden. The small flowers of Aristolochia californica are very interesting. We grow this species to attract the larvae of the native Pipevine Butterflies (Battus philenor). So far, they have not found our garden; however we know that they are in the area. They will find our garden soon enough.



I grow a number of our native Sedge species (Carex) in our Sacramento, California garden. Carex multicaulis, Stick Sedge, is very attractive. Both the evergreen foliage and inflorescences are stiff. The clusters of whitish “flowers” are appealing. It appreciates filtered sunlight in our garden and seems to grow well in almost any type of soil as long as it is kept slightly moist. In addition, this species stays fairly small, so it fits well in our small garden. There is still plenty of room to accommodate many other plants. We have planted these for the diversity of shape and color in the garden, as well as encouraging native flora and fauna. Many species of grass skippers (genus Hesperia etc), spread-wing skippers, and checkered skippers (all family Hesperiidae) feed on, breed, and leave their larvae to be fed and protected by Carex.

Jasmin adds:  Your pictures are indeed lovely!  We are inspired enough to see if the stinzenplanten we remember are still around.  There has been so much development, we do not recognize many areas anymore, and can feel lost as much as loss (grief). 

All photos and most text is actually Robert’s.  He is the official Forumist.  Usually I am “just” an editor:  I will add punctuation, and change wording because I know how terribly mixed up some American phrasing can translate.  As grateful as we all may be for Google translate, it is not a human translator, someone fluent in whatever languages.  There are times the message word order is truly confusing.  For those of us who are blessed (or ultra-confused) with multiple languages in our heads, being able to arrange words so others can understand and enjoy is a real pleasure.  Sometimes, though, I have added some lines, but under Robert’s name.  Above, that would be the additional information about planting the Carex species for color, shape, and nurturing Nature.  Robert has asked me if I wanted to be a member on the Forum, but I am fine with either a silent role or this experiment in occasional joint contribution. I really do have plenty to do!

It took me the experience of life--including life in at least four or five different countries--and perhaps a large dose of maturity to have compassion for those who feel uncomfortable with history, and for the debates all countries go through when confronting when and how to tell their history, and to understand we are complex, and our decisions are not easy.  We like to simplify complex realities.  We feel comfortable with concrete, solid answers; with black-and-white, not shades of grey, with clear good and bad, not ambiguity.  Labels also make talking about any topic easier. 

Life, however, is not so neat and orderly.  It is no different with our discussions of plants than with our discussions of any other topic.  Think of all the debate over plant names and classification!  There is always some variation on the theme of “lumping” or making a larger group of something, and “splitting” or making a smaller group of something.  We do the same things with each other all the time:  For example, I notice Robert has a small American flag on the Forum, because this is his country.  And, well, it is my country too; yet, despite my citizenship papers, and length of life here, there is some part of me that still is not sure I feel truly American.  There are a lot of people living in this place called America who would completely understand what I mean when I feel like some hybrid something:  American to other peoples, but not really American to others in this country.  When does one feel this thing called American?  There are three hundred years between when Robert’s people arrived, and mine!  In 1642 it was Civil War in England, and getting on the “Hector Clement” (the first boat going) to the American colonies was a pretty good idea.  In my family, it was 1942, and America was, again, a pretty good idea. Yet, living here, we find America has its own problems that look a lot like what our families thought they left.

[Akke]

Robert

Thanks for sharing the pictures of your garden.  Aristolochia looks so exotic to me, the containers in the background showing promise, while your Carex is so natural. As you can imagine, I like the effort you take to please the fauna as well. There’s no final ‘gardening’ plan here, still exploring, but bees need some help here and that will remain a good theme for a container garden.
Earlier when we talked about Viola odorata I started wondering if the individual plants were good at adapting to very different circumstances, another possibilty being that just a couple of seeds would survive and sort of start a new branch. In case of Iris ‘Harmony’, it’s about clones, isn’t it? Which would mean it is very adaptable, even summer is usually pretty wet here. In any case (avoiding splitting and lumping )the Iris reticulata garden clones increase well here, the ones I got out of the pots last year had doubled, the repotted ones aren’t flowering yet though, ‘Pauline’ at the tree garden (pic1) is. A pity I can’t send you bulbs.
About sowing Crocus species, I just started it last season. A few are of the ‘collectable’ kind (just got seeds), couldn’t resist to sow the more common species I got as bulbs and collected a few seeds of naturalized Crocus Tommasianus in the park. First seedlings are showing. I hope to sow more this year, maybe I’ll get some from the seed exchange and hopefully some of my own ‘collectables’ I got this year.

Jasmin

So many wise words. I’m not goinig to react to most of them, it would leave no room for the rest of the month so the next entry would be March 2022. Okay, this one, nothing wrong with trying to think in shades of grey. Unfortunately even development has this kind of shades, necessary but why here?
I gathered as much that Robert is the author and you add some remarks. It’s not always obvious, but mostly there are some hints.
On the subject of language, I’m not using Google translate or similiar, so mistakes are all mine. If in doubt, I check something like Merriam-Webster for subtle differences or spelling, and in ‘extreme’ cases a beginners guide to biology.  . In a passive, listening/reading way I’m one of the blessed, it has happened that people had  to point out to me that the conversation was bilingual.  Probably only works for (ost) frisian.
Regarding plant names, there could be something to say for different point of views.  I just try to introduce Colchicum instead of Autumn-flowering-without-leaves around here.

A thought I’ve had when people talk about emigration. Some are actually running to a different place, they could be disappointed. Some are just running away from here, they probably will be disappointed.

Second pic. Just took another way home to check this place. A good carpet already and more warm days to come. All the yellow dots are Eranthis, not dried grass or rubbish.

[Maggi Young]

Translations -  just a small comment - if Forumists need a translation to their own language  and do not usre the Forum's "built-in"  translation system,  this is a good option :
https://www.deepl.com/translator     

[Robert]

Akke,

Jasmin adds:  I really love the image of the Iris reticulata, with the rough, dark tree bark in the background.  Colors and textures draw one into the vibrancy and vitality of life.

You are fortunate; your writing and spelling are marvelous.  I still struggle:  In a couple of grades I received so many red/bad marks for spelling and punctuation.  It was only later in life I figured out that I was writing British English, not American.  How could the teachers or I know that was the problem?  I still have spelling and punctuation confusion at times.  There are words too that can confuse me.  Some words are not cognates!  It can be embarrassing or hilarious.  This computer automatically changes my writing to American English.  Sometimes I have mixed feelings about that. 

I am immensely grateful for our dialog.  It has elicited so many memories, and I am grateful:  My mother was incredibly international, a fluid, flowing, and flexible and truly humanitarian person beyond religion, culture, race, and nationality.  She gifted me an international family of so many colors, textures, sounds, perspectives, and so forth.  She lived so fully: we are more than what labels we use, more than our shortcomings, more than our mistakes, hurts, or deeds that we have done—and any wrongs could be made right through true repentance and self correction.  We could and can all be forgiven.  She saw the Light of God in everyone.  She was beloved by everyone, everywhere we went.  She taught me how to live, and I have had an incredibly rich life.  I see my mistakes were learning who I was, and where I belonged, moving in this fluid world of hers, into a world so deeply attached to labels of identity, and often demanding allegiance—either you are with them or you are the enemy—a very narrow construct.  I needed to learn for myself the lessons she taught me through her very life:  true lovingkindness, of forgiveness for everyone—no matter the deed, because we are all beloved, gifted with life by God.

I did not think I would marry an American.  Many times, whether I lived in the USA or not, I found Americans strange. Tourists left much to be desired.  I admit I acted and spoke so no one would suspect I had anything to do with the country or those rude people.  I hated having someone shout as if I were deaf, “DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?” I admit that I was not always kind: I acted stupid, or maybe I was snide, “Well, I sure hope so.”  Some members of my family who came earlier just to work and hoped to return were brokenhearted to never go home again because of the war.  Others, who returned, returned to a changed world, ruined buildings, and the people they knew were dead, refugees, or the living traumatized one way or another. I could speak the languages, but no one can translate experiences.  I still remember being told as a young person that I did not understand.  I realize now how true.

After two days of very strong winds, it is calmer.  I think I picked up most of the garbage, including some child’s cloth toy doll!  We pray for the miracle of rain again.  Despite atmospheric changes, the high pressure ridge continues to build.  We are expecting even warmer dry weather.  Our birds will enjoy having access to the aviary, but I will have to water!  Prunings still lie in heaps, or scattered, some crossing the paths, and have to be moved. 

[Catwheazle]

Rhododendron ferrugineum struggles through the snow ... and gives hope for spring

[Robert]

Catwheazle,

Your photograph of Rhododendron ferrugineum does capture the promise of spring as it pokes through the melting snow. Thank you for sharing the photograph. I know that I am repeating myself, but I enjoy seeing plants emerge from the melting snow. This is an especially delightful time for me to view plants in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Despite no precipitation for a month, we still have snow in the Sierra Nevada.
[Jasmin adds:  Your photo brought me such a peaceful, joyous feeling.  It is truly lovely.  Thank you so much!]



My wife, Jasmin, was sneaking around today with the camera. She captured me chopping orange tree branches for the compost pile. We have a large composting area under our orange tree. Almost all of the organic materials from our garden go into the compost pile or are shredded and used as mulch for our garden. Noxious weeds are placed in the city waste can. The orange tree loves the compost pile; the two have lived happily together for years. In the days when it would get cold, the compost pile prevented frost damage to the tree and fruit.

Our orange tree provides fruit December into March, and then hopefully we have strawberries.



You can see how dry the ground is. The current weather forecast is for a continuation of the dry weather. Record to near record temperatures are forecasted during the next 7 days. Temperatures could reach 80 F (26.7 C)! This type of weather is extremely abnormal!

Akke,

Thank you for the information concerning Crocus setting seed. I have been hand pollinating Crocus flowers in an attempt to get viable seed. Last year I had three genetically different Crocus tommasinianus plants that I hand pollinated. No seed. I have tried again this year. Hopefully I will get results.

[Akke]

Catwheazle

Robert already said most, I just wanted to mention the beauty of two seasons in one picture. Do you always have snow at this time or is it now and then?

Despite the weather your orange tree looks cheerful, your garden seems lovely to me.  I assume you keep your Crocus t. in the shade, Robert? They might be very easy here, but it sounds as though they’re much more difficult in your climate. Took a good look at the pot today, some seedlings could have turned up, still really small. Hopefully you’ll have some seeds this year to start a more adapted line of C. Tomassianus.

In my container Iris ‘Kuh-e-abr’ started to flower


Other plants are are waiting for higher temperatures and a bit of sunlight, but are already adding some color


Jasmin

The feelings about our dialog are mutual. To be honest, due to personal circumstances this is not an easy time for me, your shared thoughts and memories are very helpful. I don’t think I can explain exactly why at this moment, maybe some day I will. Your mother sounds like a very wise and loving person, I can only guess you inherited that from her. I have to add that I’m not religious in any way, if talking about evolution was offending, I’m really sorry.

It sounds like you married a real nice person, what difference would nationality make? I never understood why people were idoiizing the US at high school, now I think that was just good marketing. I don’t really know what to think about the US, maybe there’s more of them ?  But then again, that would be a point here as well.
 Funny, I now live more than a hundred miles ( this is far for the Netherlands) from origin and I feel at home, growing up, not even 15 miles away, I felt like a stranger.

 About language, at school we were told, aged 12, to learn either American English or British English, they actually never told us how to achieve this. It seems that by accident things turned out right, spoken word (in The Netherlands film and television have subtitles) was mostly American English, while lessons and literature would predominantly be British English. If my spelling is corrected, not paying attention for a second, it’s to a similar Dutch words and sometimes English.
It’s probably worse for people who have a problem with the things we call letters, they are considered stupid, even if they’re not.

[Catwheazle]

<Do you always have snow at this time..

Yes. Here in the mountains, winter usually lasts until after Easter... but the last few years have been getting warmer and warmer

[Leena]

How lovely views of the orange tree, and working under it.

Here we had a big storm and more snow a week ago, and then more yesterday, about 20cm of wet snow now on top of the snow which came a week ago, and strong winds resulted in broken cherry and plum trees in my garden yesterday. There is a lot to clear up, and new places to plant something new.
Right now it is snowing more, and temperatures are just below freezing.

[Gabriela]

How lovely views of the orange tree, and working under it.

Here we had a big storm and more snow a week ago, and then more yesterday, about 20cm of wet snow now on top of the snow which came a week ago, and strong winds resulted in broken cherry and plum trees in my garden yesterday. There is a lot to clear up, and new places to plant something new.
Right now it is snowing more, and temperatures are just below freezing.

Sorry to see and hear about the winter storm damage Leena.
We have a bit more snow than you at the moment but luckily no broken trees in this region; other provinces have experienced freezing rains with lots of damages.
It seems we are all in for a long, cold and snowy winter and a late spring in April. Looking back at my records, it seems to happen once every 3-4 years.

[Robert]

Leena,

Many years ago at our Placerville property winter storms would occasionally bring heavy snowfall. The power would go out and it would become very quiet. Sporadically the quiet would be broken by a very loud pop, as a large oak limb snapped from the weight of the snow. Now it rarely snows at our Placerville property. So far this year we had only one day with a small amount of measurable snow.

Thank you for sharing the snowy scenes. I hope that your garden benefits from the additional sunlight.
[Jasmin adds:  Despite the destruction, the scenes are very lovely.  How we would love to take your excess snow from your area to ours!]

Akke,

Yesterday I went through the garden and hand pollinated every Crocus I found with an open flower. Crocus tommasinianus was crossed with other C. tommasinianus clones. Crocus vernus was crossed with other C. vernus plants. I even crossed Crocus tommasinianus with Crocus biflorus and a white Crocus hybrid. Maybe I will get some to set seed this year. I will report on my results. And, most of our Crocus are growing in somewhat sunny locations. Not 100% full sun, but still more sun than shade.

The Iris reticulata varieties are interesting and beautiful. There appears to be many named clones.

[Jasmin adds:  As much as each of us finds solace in the garden and nature, there is a time for listening to each other, for in voicing ourselves, we often gain the clarity we were seeking.  We all face personal challenges, and there is COVID, and the amassing of tanks and troops which brings too many of us the terrors we had in childhood.  It is through the hope we give each other through this Forum that we gain strength, and move beyond survival to true living, while creating beauty.

I had no notion there was anything to apologize for.  Perhaps I ought to be the one to apologize, for the commitment to nonviolence begins with the commitment to noncoercion.  My mother was deeply religious.  She had very powerful spiritual experiences as a result of her trials in the ‘40s and other times in her life.  Yes, she taught me many wonderful things, and had a true spirit of openness to all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, etc.  However, she was so strong, and so convinced, that it often left me no space to find my own self.  My searching included periods of living Muslim (I never said the shahada) [I was shocked and dismayed at the laws directed against veiling because for women it a complex situation that law cannot take into consideration], following Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, looking into Sikhism, various Christianities, and living as an observant Jew [orthopraxic—correct action--more than orthodox—correct thinking].  I am comfortable defining myself as Quaker, at peace with myself and my journey.  It is important to honor yourself and your convictions.  There is no conflict between evolution, science, and God.  Given all the violence in the name of God and religion, it is a wonder any one of us can feel comfortable with any form of spirituality.

My mother told me to marry my best friend.  It took many years to find that person.  It is important to have a companion you share values and interests with, whose company you enjoy so much you want to be isolated together for years.

Neither Robert nor I know what to think of the US either.  Just the scale of the country is astounding, never mind the diversity of people and ecosystems.  It can be baffling; yet fascinating.  There are entire communities where all of a sudden, you are in another country without ever getting on a plane or boat.  In contrast, there are people who have never lived or traveled to any other place.  Their community is all they know.  Few are like my mother or Robert and me, getting out of our familiar to experience another reality and learn from each other.

In “my” day, the side of the ocean one was on decided the English used.  My mother was from the radio generation, but even that was not listened to frequently.  Someone gave us a black-and-white television, but it sat there.  Books and reading aloud, sewing, and needlework. . . these were our pastimes.
 



[Robert again]:  I also spent time yesterday spreading shredded autumn leaves on the garden beds. Better late than never. [Jasmin:  I watered early (still dark out) this morning, an odd experience in February, when rain once was normal.  The hose was stiff with cold.  It was just below 2º C.  The plants are much happier with some water and the mulch.]



This season I am experimenting with some new plants in some of our semi-woodland garden beds. I have small plants of Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis that I hope will bloom this spring from seed sown this autumn. This species is perennial, however they need bone dry conditions during the summer to survive. If they bloom this spring I will save the seed and grow them on each season as an annual. We shall see if this works. Other species planted are: Collinsia heterophylla, C. tinctoria, Collomia grandiflora, Nemophila maculata, Nemophila menziesii, and Erythranthe guttata. Erythranthe guttata is perennial, all the others species are annual. If this works out it should be very nice looking with the other bulbs and perennials in these beds.



I grew a batch of F2 Galanthus nivalis seedlings. The small plants are now old enough to bloom. Someday they will be a pretty sight.  A bonus: Jasmin thinks these are sweet.



Our miniature small-cupped Narcissus species and hybrids are just beginning to bloom. Starting last year, new hybrids are being created each season. In a few years there will be new plants to evaluate each spring.



Our Hoop Petticoat Narcissus continue to bloom. The flowering stems of the later blooming varieties are just starting to elongate. From 1 January to 1 March we have a parade of blooming Hoop Petticoat Narcissus. New hybrids are being created, however nothing noteworthy has appeared to date.

In our seed pans new Tulipa, Lilium, Narcissus, Calichortus, Diplacus, and Erythranthe hybrids are emerging. There are many new things to look forward to in our garden. This is very exciting! Right now I am most excited about the Diplacus angustatus, Pansy monkeyflower, seedlings that are developing flower buds.

[Robert]

For all the science enthusiasts out there…

One of my brother’s colleagues at UNR alerted him to the Tonga volcanic eruption pressure spike. My brother checked our Placerville barometric pressure data and there it is! This spike is from the second, larger eruption on 15 January at 4:14:45 UTC. The pressure spike can be seen on our chart occurring at 4:00 a.m. 15 January 2022 in Placerville, California. There are some additional reflection spikes but we have not looked for them yet.

Fun stuff!

[ArnoldT]

Robert

That's so interesting.  So the pressure spike is somewhat like the wave of pressure we feel when standing close to a firework display.  I guess we could estimate the speed of the wave by knowing the moment the eruption took place.

[Robert]

Arnold,

I agree, the pressure wave was very interesting!

I did some estimations of the speed of the pressure wave. The strongest eruption occurred at 4:14:45 UTC. 8 hours later at 12:00:00 UTC the pressure wave was detected on our Placerville barometer. The distance from Tonga to California is approximately 5,403 miles. So my estimated speed of the pressure wave was 675 mph. The speed of sound is approximately 740 mph @ 0 C. Some PhD. physicists that I know informed me that these types of waves travel a bit slower than the speed of sound. Their rough estimates of the speed of the wave were very close to mine. These are all estimates. The temperature, moisture content, and other variables of the atmosphere impact the speed of the wave.

The pressure wave caused a rapid shift in our local atmosphere of approximately 1.7 hPa.

All of this was very interesting and fun to detect and calculate.     

[ArnoldT]

Robert:

I'm sure there is a formula somewhere that predicts the decease in wave intensity as distance increases.  With light it's the inverse of the square of the distance. (this is the inverse square law.)  With the physical propagation ( molecules bumping to each other) of the sound or pressure wave air density, humidity and surface topography must be taken into account.