Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!
Mexican Flame Vine • Pseudogynoxus chenopodioides
Not quite 40 days and 40 nights
But it might as well have been because it rained a hell of a lot here in Central Texas during the month of May. By now you've probably heard about the horrific 40 foot high flash-flooding along the Blanco River that swept away everything in its path including houses, cars, 500 year-old trees, pets, and entire families. It rained hard and fast and the devastation was unprecedented. Our hearts go out to those who lost so much so quickly in the unforgiving raging waters.
Austin experienced flooding throughout the city but was spared the worst of it compared to surrounding communities. We did set a May record for the amount of rain - almost 18" - and it turned out to be the third wettest month in history for the city. At times the rain was relentlessly torrential and the water would rise faster and faster with each passing storm as the ground became more and more saturated.
One of the local meteorologists likes to remind us that we live in a region which experiences one long drought punctuated by periods of intense flooding. It's the rhythm of life here in Central Texas and you learn to take the good with the bad. Many folks had rightly concluded that it would take a major flooding event to reset the hydro-cycle and that is what happened in May. Reservoirs that were near empty are almost full for the first time in several years and rivers that had grass growing on dried-up riverbeds are flowing again. Creeks are running clean and clear and the aquifers are recharging and replenishing countless springs throughout the Texas Hill Country. Lake Travis rose 38 feet in 30 days with much of it occurring during just a seven day period. It is truly astonishing how quickly the water situation changed from disconcertingly dire to something approaching normal.
Whatever "normal" is anymore anyway...
The rain has finally stopped, the sun is out, and the rivers have quieted again. Everything that wasn't washed away is green and growing. Plants that were smushed and smashed from deluge after deluge are slowly lifting themselves up to face the sunshine again. Some are managing well enough on their own while others are getting a helping hand. I've spent the past few days trimming, cutting, pruning, and generally coaxing flowers and shrubs into recovery mode after weeks of being drenched and waterlogged. As in any garden, some plants are doing better than others but overall everything is looking really good, all things considered.
Pink Fairy Rose
|
Rain makes a reappearance in the 7-day forecast but as of now the chances are low. We've already dried out enough that a little bit of rain would be just fine to help keep things green and growing. So how has the spring weather been in your neck of the woods?
Disclaimer: Read the diary and participate in the comments at your own risk. Author is not responsible under any circumstances for personal injury, loss of valuable time, or plant death.