Thursday, January 19, 2012

Frozen in time....Seattle ice-storm 2012

We have all heard the story of the boy who cried wolf...You know the one where the weatherman cries..."the snow storm of the century is coming" only to then get 2inches of snow 3yrs in a row. Needless to say, we all have grow tired of his false predictions and our trust in the wild claims is non-existent!
On Tuesday with barely any snow sticking to the roads, we were told of a wild and crazy snow storm to hit Seattle that night. This year dubbed "Snow-mageddon" with tongues planted firmly in cheeks we all said...ah ha sure! The schools were closed in advance and we all laughed at the overreaction...yet again!

Then to our surprise, Wednesday morning we awoke to find 6inches of soft fluffy snow! Wow, weatherman finally got it right! Off to sled and enjoy the gorgeous winter weather. Gulp! Now if that wasn't bad enough, we were then told to "brace" for the biggest ice-storm Seattle has seen in over 30yrs. What do we do? The weatherman actually was right last time, could he be two for two? No, surely not! So we return to our old-ways of disbelief and believe its another Seattle overreaction!

This time we woke to another inch of snow, so we thought. It was actually an inch and a half of ice! Weatherman was right yet again, I will never doubt again!! (well until next time) The trees were weighed down with the freezing weight that clung to every branch. My poor plants, my poor plum tree, a tree I have no problem walking under, now its limbs hang only a few inches from the ground. It is quite a site out there, I only wish I could capture the coating of ice that is over everything. So with camera in and hand and wrapped inside a plastic bag (ie, fancy waterproof technology) I was able to snap some pics. It feels like you are seeing everything with double vision.

My little helper showing just how close to the ground the plum tree branches are...yikes!

As I type this the snow is now falling once again, gone is the fun winter wonderland of snowball fights and sledding. Now its an icy freeze that has frozen my garden in time and they are predicting more...


My Jasmine seen here covered in a solid layer of ice, wishing I had of covered them in burlap!


Hedges of Dwarf Boxus and Hebees protected mainly by snow. 
The unprotected parts entombed in ice-cubes or dripping with icicles. 


The branches and new tiny shoots of the plum tree, as if dipped in glass!

 I thought my eyes were going funny with this picture, its like seeing double vision due to the layer of ice.

 Ahh sweet sweet Magnolia, frozen in time as if a curse has been placed on you!
Stay safe and warm my treasured tree! Maybe I should've brought it inside...hehe

Cascading branches of the Pussy-willow. You can see the thin branch with the added weight of the ice.
Very tentacle like.

Hydrangea in bud, crossing my fingers for this years bloom and safe longevity.

With more snow and ice in tonight's for forecast, it is now really scaring me in regards to the safety of my plants. What do I do? Is there anything I can do? What do you do when ice/snow threaten your plants with sheer weight? Do you try and shake it off? leave it alone to protect from the freeze? I am really at a loss and am "bracing" myself for the worst still to come...losing plants!!

32 comments:

  1. Give your plants and trees a good whack with a broom handle. Bring it underneath the limbs and whack upwards. It's great at cracking the ice and taking weight off the branches. Only do this for branches that are bent over and in danger of breaking. The rest of the plants should be fine.

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    1. OK, I think I'm going out there now to do just this. Its already dark, so this could be highly entertaining to my husband or turn him into a superhero when he has to come rescue me...lol! Thanks for the tips, its always nice to have a confirmation of what to do from others who have actually done it!! Cheers Julia xx

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  2. I'm so sorry! Ice scares me, well snow too but I get how to deal with that...ice is something completely different. Be very careful trying to remove it...I would be afraid of breaking the branch/steam/leaf!

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    1. I really have not seen anything like this, the ice is about 1/2 inch thick and quite hard to remove. I gave up, I think I was doing more damage than good! Was insane the amount, praying they make it through this. My 10ft Italian Cypress are bending over and touching the ground =(

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  3. Wow! That is amazing weather for your area...I would have been the same as you laughing at everyone overreacting...Your photos are so beautiful...my thought is to keep shooting and try to enjoy the weather anomaly until it passes. You won't know the damage until that time and I think it best to enjoy the 'true winter' than worry about potential damage. The other suggestion of whacking with a broom may be good but be careful to not break anything as it will be very brittle cause of the cold. Best of luck...

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    1. While whacking with my broom I did stop and enjoy the snow tonight. It really is quite beautiful out there, despite the damage it is causing! The light sparkling on the ice-covered branches is so dazzling and sparkly. Just wish I could capture it in a pic.

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  4. Yep! I don't even need to write a post, you described everything! We are to the south from Seattle. I did exactly what Casa Mariposa said to do, was walking with a broom in my hand like a witch! I think my tree peony won't bloom this year!
    Stay warm!

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    1. Oh I am crossing my fingers for your tree peony, love those trees, such a stunning bloom!! Hope you are staying warm where you are and your power is still on. We have ours but 20,000 homes in just my area are without. Thinking good thoughts for your garden too. Cheers =)

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  5. The ice-covered bud is beautiful. I hope there isn't much damage. I have a cousin in Seattle. I've enjoyed watching her and her kids enjoying their snow-day.
    nellie

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    1. I really enjoyed looking at the beauty this ice-storm provided. Its sometimes hard to see the rose through the thorns so to say, but gosh when you forget about the danger and the cold, it really is a winter wonderland. The buds were my fave too, they looked encapsulated in glass, really quite a sight! Thanks for stopping by..cheers Julia

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  7. I really, really love your icy photos! Great composition!

    I have no clue what you do at times like this. They look so pretty. I think I would just let them be.

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    1. Thanks One, Oh to be somewhere tropical, I'm coming to visit..hehe! I have to keep telling myself it will not stay for long and to just enjoy the icy beauty while its here. There truly is beauty in everything! Hope you are enjoying the warmth, please remind the sun to stop on by Seattle sometime soon...lol! Cheers =)

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  8. Isn't this just the strangest? After waking to freezing rain it snowed another 2 or 3 inches today. I'm afraid to think about the plants. I'm just hoping the trees can take another day of this before it warms up again. The lights flicker every so often and I just keep my fingers crossed the power stays on, that would be really miserable.
    Hope the kids can go back to school by Monday - not sure I can take any more days off :)

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    1. Hope you made it through the night, without loss of power or trees! We heard a few crashes during the night, but were thankfully in the greenbelt across the way. I'm hoping to get out today, we ran out of milk, eggs and bread this morning, not to mention wine last night...Nooooo!! Looking forward to Monday and the hope of school resuming! Stay safe =)

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  9. Snow is fun but ice is a different story. Hopefully it will all melt away this weekend! Stay safe and warm and fingers crossed for all your plants!

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    1. Thanks Karin, I'm just trying to stay positive and grateful that at least we still have power!! Its just started to rain and I've noticed most tree limbs are now bent and touching the ground, I am terrified for my trees! Every time a bird lands in the trees it either knocks the ice of...good! or brakes a limb...bad! About to head out again for another whack at the ice. Hope the weather is cooperating where you are? Cheers xx

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  10. Gorgeous pics - especially that magnolia bud!! We're always amazed when the weatherman gets it right too :)

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    1. Thanks Jane, it was fun to get out there with the camera! Once the rain stops will head back out for some updates. The Magnolia is especially interesting at the moment, I can see it from inside, if it were not for the fence I would have lost limbs on it by now for sure. Its still so glazed over with ice. Well the weatherman said it would've melted by now..so he's back to his usual ways...lol! Cheers =)

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  11. We had one of those ice storms about 3 years ago. It was a little thicker than in your images (although you've got PLENTY!) and it was awful. It broke tree limbs worse than a windstorm. All night I could hear the limbs falling around our house. So if they hang on they will be fine. It is so warm and rainy in Oregon, maybe it has improved for you by now!

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  12. So happy to hear it is a little warmer down your way, I have been thinking of my Oregon friends, wondering if they've been hit with this too! So far limbs are hanging on (knock on wood!) They are trying with all their might to fight the weight, you can feel the strain! We did wake to fresh snow, but hopefully the worst is over. Thanks for stopping by xx

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  13. Karin is right - snow is one thing - it can be very insulating, but ice is destructive. I so hope your plants don't get hurt by this! Sometimes we just have to grin and bear what Mother Nature gives us, although she can be very cruel!

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  14. Frances over at Fairegarden once provided a tip for shooting pictures of ice: turn on the flash. I haven't tried it, but her results were stunning. Portland used to have big ice storms every few years, but that was before I started gardening. Wednesday's foot of wet, heavy snow was bad enough.

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  15. It's sad when their predictions do come true....you have had a pretty bad dump of snow and ice. Hope that everything survives.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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  16. We recently had an ice storm as well, and there is a beauty in it. I do worry, however about some of the young and tender branches, but the forecast is for warmer weather in the coming days. Hopefully, all will work out in the end.

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  17. The incredible beauty of your photos belie the destructiveness of ice storms. We get them from time to time here in the Midwest, but snow is much more prevalent. I hope it warms up for you quickly, and acts more seasonal for you! (You should print and frame those photos - they are absolutely beautiful.)

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  18. Yeah, ice scares me, too. Both for the plants and for the people walking and driving on it. I hope the ice has all melted for you now. Unfortunately, that's what we'll be getting here in Wisconsin tomorrow. Your photos are beautiful! You are very brave!

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  19. Gorgeous photos!!! I know the ice is behind you now and your area is bouncing back from some serious winter weather - reminds me of when I used to live in northern WI and MN!

    I hope the Italian Cypress has bounced back by now! Thanks for venturing out in the ice to get these wonderful photos to share with us!

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Thanks for stopping by and reading my latest post! I love sharing my gardening adventures and reading your wonderful comments. Happy digging...Cheers Julia!!

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