Monday, December 21, 2009

Crazy Phoeinx, AZ Winter Storms

Crazy Phoenix, AZ Winter Storms

I know Arizona does not get the kinds of storms the east coast just experienced.  Today is the first day of winter and it is forecasted to be 70 degress.  We get rain in the Phoenix area - not snow.

And we do not get 'weather' that often.  In fact. this past summer during our 'monsoon' season, we got very little rain or wind. So when it rains, is cloudy or there is a 'storm' we get excited - and actually happy!

Our first true winter storm is forcasted for this week - just in time to lower the temps to chill it down for Christmas Day.  A 40% chance of rain isn't much, but in our town we get hopeful.  Of course it WILL rain as I just hand washed my car at home on Saturday and cleaned the office windows from the last rain.

Speaking of the last rain, we also had a lot of wind.  It knocked many of the leaves off the Chaste/Vitex tree on my back yard so that I could fill up my compost barrel.

It also whipped around in my front yard garden.  A week prior, I had removed the lodge pole I used to stake the palo verde tree I planted last March.  Desert native tress do not need to be staked very long at all. Just long enough to establish the roots - about 6 months. The movement actually helps to strengthen the tree trunk.


The tree did OK in the wind, but I noticed a gap in the soil all around the base of the tree - looks like that tree got whipped around quite a bit. The photo shows just how much it moved (using the house key to give perspective).  I was amazed at how much strength both the wind had in moving the tree and the strength of the tree itself to withstand that kind of movement!




I also noticed my brocolli plants where leaning quite a bit.  They are not broken, just leaning. They have moved more upright in the two weeks since the rain. However, I will leave them as is for now. None of the other plants looked any worse for the wind.

So while the rest of the U.S. is dealing with snow and freezing temps, here in Phoenix we are keeping our hopes up for rain again this week.

What's the weather doing where you live and how does it affect your garden?

Happpy Digging,
The Garden Goddess
http://www.donw2earthgardens.com/

1 comments:

Christine B. said...

Hello GG,

The weather where I live in Alaska: snow with a chance of more snow.

Condition of garden: taking a dirt nap at the moment.

Your pictures of green and growing things are just what the doctor ordered, thanks!

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