Oh No April Snow

Well, a pretty spring post this is not. Out of nowhere, and I mean that with all sincerity, a freak snowfall blanketed Chickadee Gardens with over 8" of wet, heavy, crummy snow on April 11. You read that right, mid-April. Another weather record; not one to celebrate. I have no memory of any snow at all in April in my lifetime.

From Oregon Public Broadcasting's website about the Portland area (we're north in Saint Helens and were hit much harder): For the first time in almost 120 years, downtown Portland saw a measurable amount of snow in mid-April. The last time snow stuck to the ground in the downtown area this late in the year was in 1903, when snow was recorded on April 10, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s not normal,” said meteorologist Colby Neuman. “We have seen snow in April in downtown Portland, but never this much this late in April.”

Approximately 1.6 inches, more in some areas, was recorded around Portland. The snow melted in the afternoon Monday, as temperatures rose.

We had significantly more than the 1.6 inches that Portland saw and there is still snow on the ground here as I write this.
Facilities Manager took this photo at 6 am three days ago (April 11). All told over eight inches. Snow flurries continued through Wednesday, though the accumulation was mainly very early Monday morning.

I was too heartbroken, honestly, to take photographs Monday and Tuesday. FM woke me early Monday morning with a warning not to be too shocked. I went back to sleep for a while, burying my head in the pillow. When I finally did make it outside, FM had dutifully been knocking heavy wet snow off of as many trees and shrubs as he could. I followed, trying to save hebes, for example, that were a mere bump of white, flat on the ground. Ugly tears ensued. This late in the year when plants are actively growing and leaves on trees make them heavier than without, snow is not welcome. I've never seen this much damage in my own garden. As I uncovered shrub after shrub I saw many branches broken off. Two large Ceanothus 'Italian Skies', which are each about 8' tall, were reduced to about a 3' height with most branches on the ground. Heavy pruning soon to follow.  

I went around today, Wednesday, taking a few photos of some of the obvious aftermath. Long-term observation will likely reveal consequences of continuous environmental stress that has been slamming the garden regularly for a few years now. Pictured here are branches from a redbud that snapped off. We lost large limbs off of maples, both native and Japanese, Oregon white oaks, an entire cascara tree (which is a shame because this native tree is a favorite for pollinators), lots of Douglas fir branches and pinecones, dogwoods, the list goes on.


 
We have many wild filbert or hazelnut trees in our wooded hedgerows, many of which snapped. FM chain-sawed them down and will save them for future farm projects.

The snow is gone but many shrubs are tipped over. Not necessarily out of the ground at the roots, but the weight of the snow bent the branches . They may right themselves in time but I have my doubts.

A Myrica californica split down the middle.

A wider shot. It was the weight of extremely wet, heavy snow that caused all this damage. Had it been powdery, it would not have accumulated on plants' surfaces as much as it did, sticking like cake batter on every surface, smothering plants, often flat to the ground.

A collection of branches in the graveyard.

Two of three Cupressus macrocarpa have been topped.

More graveyard area where Facilities Manager has been gathering broken tree limbs.

Rhamnus alaternus 'Variegata' had a rough go from February snow and was starting to right itself. Now I fear this is a permanent state. I'll have to prune some of the branches in the way of paths, but I would rather not have to prune anything.

One of a few loads of debris FM hauled away. He's my super-hero, and his back and heating pad are evidence of his hard work. The cleanup will continue for at least a couple of weeks. I honestly couldn't have gotten through the last few days without his support and love.

(FM: I admit that I chuckled when I rolled out of bed on Monday morning. Wow, look at all of that snow! And I took the first picture of the snow-covered chairs. Then I walked out to release the hens and turkey to their yard and I found the plants and trees plastered by that thick snow. Not good, I said to the poultry. Gonna be a long day, and so it was. After the initial shock, Tamara rebounded like the feisty human that she is, and we met our challenge together. Even the cats gave us extra rubs and loud purrs.) 

Truth be told, I think most perennials will be okay. It is not as bad as I had initially believed on Monday (but the jury's still out for long-term damage), we will be fine. It is the woody evergreen shrubs that suffered most, next to deciduous trees. We lost an entire lilac tree, which was in full bloom. There will be holes in the garden this summer. I think many Salvia officinalis are gone as they were struggling to begin with and many hebes have big chunks that have broken off. Some will rebound, others will show signs of decline and others will just die. It's the reality we live in. 

At one point on Monday I cried to FM that I want to sell the whole lot and move. I can't take this heartache every six months year in and year out. I think I kind of snapped. But to put it in perspective, we are not being bombed nor living in subways, we have food and a roof over our heads and each other. So, we garden onward another day. For now. Many friends in the area had similar if not worse damage, not that it's a contest - it's just sad and my heart goes out to all gardeners who experience such extremes. I suppose the lesson in all of this for me is to appreciate every moment. Cliché, yes, but that view out of your window you love looking at each day at breakfast - that could be gone tomorrow. Hug your loved ones, be good to one another. Stop polluting and start thinking about reusing what we have instead of generating more plastic crap to fill another landfill and pollute our waters.

That's a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. Thank you for reading and commenting, we do love being connected to the gardening world. Please, we're not fishing for pity, merely sharing the reality of gardening and its challenges. Empathy is always welcome - but we have it pretty good after all. I know you all understand.

Comments

  1. We had a similar experience -- Marty getting up early Monday and coming back to bed to say it was snowing. And I was thinking frost, some hail maybe, and he said no, this is snow! Nothing like your 8 inches of course, and I haven't seen much damage around town from mature shrubs and trees because it was fairly light, but still the neighbors can't get over it, and say the fields are too muddy for tractors now, etc. I have a small version of that rhamnus and would be heartbroken too to see it in that shape. You are both so brave and hard-working, but I know you still need hugs at a time like this -- sending some your way!

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    1. I'm surprised you had snow too! Sheesh, we're all getting a bit of the action. Everywhere there are challenges.

      That rhamnus is a real heart breaker. It will be fine, surely, however I so enjoyed its upright form and how it caught the light - well, maybe we'll do a bit of staking. Thank you for the hugs, we do need them. Back atchya.

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  2. As I was reading your heartbreaking post I couldn't help but remember something I was told by a member of our blogging community. Not a Portlander, or even a PNW'er: "gardening is so easy in the PNW"...

    Doesn't that just make you want to scream? Right up there with those not experiencing the snow damage who can look at your photo and say "it's so beautiful!" However, as you point out, in the scheme of things we've got so much to be thankful for...

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    1. Gardening is so easy in the PNW? What the corn? Come hang out with me or you for a week and then I double dare you to say that. It does make me want to scream. And saying the snow is beautiful in April is forbidden around here. Snow brings on serious stress.

      Yes, in the scheme of things we are super lucky. So much to be thankful for and yes, I for one am.

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  3. I'm sorry, Tamara. I can appreciate how overwhelming it is to face that kind of damage. Swinging into cleanup and recovery mode was probably the best thing you could do for both yourselves and the garden. Hopefully, the lion's share of your plants will fight on through as well.

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    1. Thank you Kris. You hit the nail on the head, it is overwhelming.

      You are right, though - getting to it and doing what we always do is healing - gardening, clean up, moving on. I think that the lion's share of plants will be fine in the end. I have to hold on to that fact. Hugs.

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  4. I'll confess I've often been jealous of the climate a bit farther north. Our weather in S. Oregon is vile at times. Hellish summers, early fall frost, late spring frost, browned blossoms hanging on the Magnolia like dirty toilet paper. Drought, fire, and more. But now living farther north is no guarantee of niceness. It's a shame and I'm sorry about your damage. But we can still put a seed in the ground and watch it grow. I think of the people in Ukraine. Perhaps they were planning their gardens, and now they have nothing. The problem is we've been brought up with certain expectations of nice lives, and nothing of the sort is guaranteed. The moment you are in, the green shoot that is catching your eye, this is what you have. And it has to be enough, or you go crazy with worry and resentment.

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    1. Your weather sounds so challenging, Barb. I really had no idea, I always thought of it as a pretty mild climate but thank you for educating me. Yes, we can still put a seed in the ground and watch it grow. The people of Ukraine - my heart breaks for them. You are so right. I mean to even have a garden is a privilege. And nothing is guaranteed, exactly. To be in the moment, to appreciate the infinite of now, that is bliss. It is all we have. Thank you for your words, they ring very true to me. May your garden grow beautifully this year, Barb.

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  5. Ack. So sorry. We we affected here in Portland too. Spoke with an arborist friend who is devastated to have all of this tree damage in April! He said the snow was so icy it was very heavy so a lot of limbs (and everything else) just couldn't handle the load. Our massive Doug Fir let go three of its massive limbs and took out a beautiful 10 yr old Japanese maple underneath. Had a little cry over that one. Only to find our reliable giant redwood had also lost some limbs (never had that happen - even in the heat dome) and each one missed plants by centimeters! SO you win some and lose some, it is the gardeners life. Hugs!

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    1. Oh, Doolanber, wow. You have some serious losses. I am so sorry for you as well. Doug Fir limbs are heavy and destructive when they fall, and redwoods? Oh no. You win some lose some, yes but it's still so sad and we can collectively cry over our losses. I'm with you. Hugs to you too, thank you.

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  6. Gardens teach us to be both gentle and tough - gentle when we are nurturing new plants into being or recovering and tough when the bad times show up, as they can do in so many different ways. You've created a wonderful garden in actually a pretty short amount of time and blows to it like this one stab to the center. And yes, you are so right that we are not in the same situation as the people of Ukraine and even the people of Russia as they suffer economic sanctions. I will be watching for your future reports of recovery, which I know will come, not always as we envision them but still, recovery. It's so hard, I know, and I wish for good garden news soon for you and for us.

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    1. Well said, Barbara. Nature is an ebb and flow - cliche as it sounds it's so true. The garden changes as it's a living entity - it can't help but change.

      I think my future reports of the garden will indeed be of recovery - I am super hopeful of that. My garden will change and it's hard for this stubborn Capricorn - but it's also good for us all.

      I wish for good garden successes for you this year too, Barbara. Thank you and hugs.

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  7. Ouch! Mother Nature can be so unkind. How heart-breaking especially in Spring after a long winter. In my area we have had snow every month of the year but in 2014 we had an event now called 'Snowtember' which followed an historic flood the previous year. Our area lost over 2 million trees and shrubs from that one freak event. Yes Mother Nature can be very unkind.

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    1. After a long winter it is heartbreaking. I think it's time for me to adjust my expectations about the seasons and what they should be like.

      Snowtember sounds positively traumatic! So scary. Plus with floods? You have your share of weather challenges, to be sure.

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  8. Anonymous12:15 PM PDT

    4.5" here in NE Vancouver. Our Doug fir, aka "Doug" (really, what else could you call him? ) dropped a huge branch that landed in such a way that it pierced the roof of our plastic shed. It then broke off because of the weight and the rest of it flopped over right on top of a bunch of blooming daffofils but between the shrubs. Crazy position. We're now trying to figure out how to permanently repair a plastic popup shed roof.
    I also lost a big branch off the Japanese maple. I may have to prune to hide the gap. Yet the tree that I need to remove because it's dying didn't lose any big branches. Weird.

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    1. That's a lot of snow for Vancouver in April. I am so sorry about your Doug Fir, those are super heavy limbs. A friend of mine (also in Vancouver) had that happen in her back glorious shade oasis and it did a lot of damage. Barely missed hitting her and her dog, too. Thankfully everyone is fine.

      That's too bad about the shed and the Japanese maple. I hope you find a creative way to fix it!

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    2. Anonymous5:35 PM PDT

      First ever, I think, just like PDX. I'm in Vancouver, Washington, not BC.

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    3. Right, I thought so. My friend is in Washington, also. Glad we are all melted out of it by now! I hope your clean up wasn't too bad. Cheers!

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  9. chava Nessenbaum6:25 AM PDT

    This is really horrific. I'm so sorry for the losses in your. It must to be devistating. You and FM work so well as a team that I'm sure you'll rebound soon as will your garden... it's nature's way after all. I'll be looking forward to positive updates in the weeks and months to come.

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    1. Thank you Chava, that is so kind and compassionate of you. My follow up post from a few days ago provides updates - we weren't hit as hard as we had feared, so there was a bit of good news! Plants are resilient and for that I am grateful.

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