April 28, 2017

Good-Bye April

"April showers bring May flowers."

Or so the saying goes. Actually, we've had plenty of both.

In the showers department, we've had 7 inches of rain so far this month, and it ain't over yet. It meant the filling of our new rain tank,

1550-gallon tank now full. 

which meant hooking up one of our smaller totes at the top of the garden to catch overflow.

275-gallon water tote for overflow.

And in the flowers department?

Periwinkle continues to bloom.

As do violets

Honeysuckle is just getting started,

as are strawberries

although the wild roses seem about done.

First flowers on my rugosa rose bushes.

Yarrow

White clover has been blooming for the past couple of weeks.

This is either hop trefoil or hop clover, probably the former
because of its size. I'm pretty positive it's not black medic. It's
creating a lovely volunteer ground cover & therefore welcome.

Catsear, also known as false dandelion (dandelions are blooming too).

And this one is unidentified. It grows in the hedge at the
top of the garden, probably planted as a landscape plant.

Besides all the rain, I was relieved that it hasn't been as hot as April 2016. Last year we had mid- to upper-80s F (upper-20s C) for most of the month. Then May upped the ante by kicking into the upper-90s F (mid-30s C) and it stayed that way for the rest of the summer! Not that we have a choice, but I am so hoping that a cooler April means a more tolerable summer this year.

How are things in your neck of the woods?

Good-Bye April © April 2017 by Leigh

36 comments:

Sarah said...

gorgeous flowers!

Jessika said...

We live in the Pacific Northwest, so we're used to rain. That said? This winter has set the all-time record for the most rainy days in our area since Oct 1.

We're soggy and ready for some vitamin c.

Judy said...

Grin - It is 77 degrees at 11 pm here in Phoenix. The ten-day forecast says the 4th and 5th of May will hit 100.

The last photo is that a 4 or 5 petal flower? Kind of looks like it belongs in the Rosaceae family.

Leigh said...

Gotta love this time of year. :)

Leigh said...

I don't know which is worse - too much rain or not enough!

Leigh said...

Oh no! That sounds like us last year!

The unidentified flower has 4 petals but Rosaceaes has 5, don't they? The shrubs grow tall - 7 feet or so. I've never found it in a wildlife identification book, which is why I think it's likely an ornamental. I should set aside some time and do some research on it.

Ed said...

I hope you have little need for all that water this year!

We were extremely dry but have gotten some spring rains that have done well to reverse some of that. Now we need to get the crops in and have the rains continue a bit more to catch up completely.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi! Isn't it great to start seeing the flowers! Our weather has been back and forth. Yesterday cold and windy and today the sun is shining but still not suppose to be real warm. Have a good weekend. Nancy

Meanie said...

Hello!
Another Pacific Northwesterner here...sort of...northern Idaho-
We have been having daily temps. in the low fifties and Rain, Rain, and more Rain! It was very warm by the end of March last year (I was itching to plant the vegetable garden a month and a half before the last frost free date!) ~part of the crazy El Nino/ La Nina cycle!?
This year my "inner farmer"/ intuition has no desire to get out and plant the garden...I am gonna wait a bit.
Plant ID from the picture- Mock Orange
It doesn't always carry a strong scent, it varies from specimen to specimen.

Mama Pea said...

Here in northern Minnesota, our water has been in the form of ice and snow the past week. Really a bit late for this kind of nonsense! We have 1/2" of ice covering most everything, but with temps supposedly going up to a whopping 40F today, we're hoping for some melting. So much for an early spring here. (Bah-humbug.)

Rain said...

I love your rain harvesting set up Leigh!! That is so cool. And your flowers look so pretty! We don't have flowers up yet, but I see some things popping out of the ground. I never planted any yet, but there are patches across the yard where I guess previous tenants planted perennials. But...all the snow is gone from the yard, so that's good news! :)

Mrs Shoes said...

Not even the dandelions are taking hold yet up here. The irises in my garden are starting to poke through, but that's all I'm seeing so far.

Quinn said...

Saw (after I heard) the first bumblebee yesterday :)

Michelle said...

Lovely flowers! We are rainy, the dry, then hot, and then cold. A crazy spring!

Leigh said...

Always better to have more than is needed! Here's hoping for the right amount of rain for all of us.

Leigh said...

Spring is definitely on the way!

Leigh said...

Mock Orange! I do believe you are correct, thanks! I'll have to see if mine have much scent. They certainly are pretty.

I've lost track of all the explanations they try to give us about the weather, LOL. Just hoping this summer isn't as hot and dry as last years.

Leigh said...

Ice! Can't say I miss that. Do stay safe, Mama Pea!

Leigh said...

Thanks Rain! I'm sure we're a good month or more ahead of you. The only thing I dread is that summer heat is sure to follow shortly. :(

Leigh said...

Then I'll be able to enjoy spring flowers all over again on your blog. :)

Leigh said...

Bumblebees! Much more preferable than carpenter bees!

Leigh said...

I was just reading in The One-Straw Revolution how the weather is rarely the same for more than two years in a row. So true!

Shepherdess55 said...

Picture #9 is hop clover. Birdsfoot trefoil's blossoms are like bean and pea blossoms but in a cluster.

Lynda said...

Your last flowering shrub is Philadelphus coronarius, English Dogwood, unless I am much mistaken. I have grown and loved these for many years. No discernible scent but lovely reliable blossoms which make good cut flowers that hold for a few days.

Chris said...

Looks like a good start to your spring growing season. I bet the goat pastures are loving all the rain too. Great to see you are diligently collecting water. I'm sure it will come in handy during the dry spells.

It's starting to get cold here, overnight, but the days are still a lovely 24 degrees Celsius (75F). I've been having lovely, long days out in the garden, when I haven't been working on my quilt. :)

Leigh said...

I hadn't heard of birdsfoot trefoil, so I had to look that one up. I agree it's definitely not that. Black medic has a teensy point at the end of each leaf, so it's not that. That narrowed it down to hop clover (Trifolium aureum), hop trefoil (Trifolium campestre), or lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium). I think it's too small to be T. aureum, and has more hoplike flowers than T. dubium (although we have that around too), so I think it's T. camperstre. Trouble is, they share some common names which makes it all the more confusing to identify!

Leigh said...

Well, it looks like that too. I will have to get some descriptions to compare closely. Search photos are sort of good for that, but not great (especially if some of them are labeled wrong. :o
At least I have some leads! I love having it in our hedge.

Leigh said...

That's prefect weather in my book. I wish our summer stayed that way!

We were very happy to get our tank functioning and Dan's talking about installing more! If we could catch water off of all our surfaces, we'd be wealthy! Maybe one of these days we'll manage to have the money for a couple more. :) In the meantime, it's too muddy to work in the garden. :(

Anonymous said...

Yarrow looks similar to imitation queen annes lace that we saw in the willamette valley in Oregon. Thank you for sharing all your fun pictures with your update. Sincerely, Mommy of two growing blessings & so much more!

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Rain all day today...while trying to build a mud room, what a mess! Still it's helping our pastures and flowers which aren't as far along as yours are. This year I plan to plant some honeysuckle, so love it.

Leigh said...

The yarrow does look like queen anne's lace, doesn't it? Love those tiny little flowers. :)

Leigh said...

Our honeysuckle is smelling so good! And I can just picture your muddy mess in building a mud room!

Kat said...

Perhaps the main reason I stay on Facebook is a group called Plant ID. All they do is ID plants. You post a picture and your location, and BAM! Someone, sometimes on the opposite side of the world, replies. I have learned so much on that page. Just beware, they do not allow discussion AT ALL. That's what keeps it the smooth-running machine it is.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/156706504394635/

Leigh said...

Interesting! I did not know about that group. But then, I'm not a big Fb fan, either. That one sounds like a good and useful group, however.

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

Gorgeous flowers and blossoms!
We need an ARK in our neck of the woods. Tomorrow will be the first day with no rain.
Our pond with the fish has risen 8 inches.

Leigh said...

You have a fish pond! That's fantastic! Endless rain can be frustrating though. Hope you get a chance to dry out!