A Cold and Grey November

Rain drops. Always rain drops.

The blog title sums up the month here at Bean Hill. It was not just cold and grey, it was colder and greyer way beyond normal, if such a thing still exists. The month's average high temperature was just 43 degrees; historically the average is 52. The nine degrees difference was the result of having 19 days with temperatures 6 or more degrees below normal. Thirteen of those days had highs significantly below normal (10-21 degrees!). The month's average low was 32, a mere three degrees below the historic average low. 

Kaytee hates her booties. You can see why.

    The low daytime highs were aided and abetted by the heavy clouds that blotted out any sun for 16 days this month. On six other days, the clouds weren't quite as thick and heavy, so every now and again, we'd get a brief glimpse of something that passed for sunlight. The clouds held a lot of moisture which pelted us with depressing regularity. Once again we exceeded the month's average rainfall amount: 4.35" instead of 3.19". We also had 1.57" of snow, almost spot on for the historic average. Out of November's 30 days, only two days were sunny with clear blue skies. Nobody, not even the dogs, went outside without boots on. There were NO walks in the woods, and not a lot in the meadows. Actually, there wasn't a lot of going outside, period. I don't know how the English do it.

Crabapples. Bird food!

There are two good things about this and every November. First it's Thanksgiving time. What's not to love about a holiday devoted to eating anything and everything in sight? And whoever invented pumpkin pie deserves a special place in the history books, if not in heaven. The best thing about Thanksgiving, however, is that it makes me a little more mindful of all the good things that grace my life: Loved ones both near and far, cherished friends, good health, a warm and comfortable home, this beautiful property we call Bean Hill, and the creatures great and small we share it with. I have much to be thankful for beyond pumpkin pie. And I am.

Female Downy woodpecker enjoys
a special treat

The other good thing in November is that Project FeederWatch begins. This is a citizen-science project sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology that we've participated in for years. We set up the spotting scope and several pairs of binoculars and bird watch from the comfort of our nice, warm, dry home. We keep track of the type and number and birds seen over a 48-hour period. The data is uploaded to Cornell, and is used to study things like migration patterns, the effects of climate change on bird movements and populations, the health of bird species. Birds are fascinating, beautiful creatures, and Project FeederWatch provides the ideal excuse to sit and watch them. I hope you'll consider signing on https://feederwatch.org/

Female Red Belly woodpecker knows she's being watched.

Free-Fall into Autumn

Autumn pond, woods, and very red maple

You wouldn't have expected from the way the month started out that October's average high would be normal (but it was). Nine of the first eleven days of the month recorded highs so much above normal (12-23⁰) as to be downright scary---especially when coupled with the news of the latest U.N report on climate change. Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040. Five of those eleven days had temperatures 19-23⁰ above normal; four had temperatures 12-15⁰ above; one day was 7⁰ above, and one a modest 4⁰ above normal.

Then came a big change that plummeted us into a real Autumn chill. The remaining twenty days were mostly below the normal high (but nothing so extreme as those first eleven days). Ten of the twenty days had high temperatures that were significantly below the normal high (8-16⁰). During the second half of the month, we had had the first frost, and then we had four more, interspersed with four hard freezes.

...A cozy fire to keep us warm...

Lots of people around here complain about the cold weather. (Many of them are the ones who dress in thin jackets and flip-flops to go to the grocery store although the temperature is in the 40's.) But when the first frost and freeze come, Ann and I happily stack up the firewood and break out the mulled cider.

Freezing temperatures normally signal the end of the growing season, but no one seems to have told the grass that. Despite the freezes, the growing grass has been aided and abetted by another month of higher than normal rainfall. Although only 1/2" above the norm, this month's extra rainfall came on the heels of a way-too-wet September. The additional moisture was NOT needed!

Frosty zinnia

One thing all the extra moisture did, coupled, of course, with the heat of September and early October, was to retard the development of fall color in the trees. (Fall color is happening later which is additional evidence for a changing climate; last year we didn't see significant change before mid-November!) This year the leaves finally began changing and falling significantly during the last week of the month. In the spring, I always think there's nothing more magical and beautiful than the flowering trees, but then the fall color change comes, and I think there's nothing more magical and beautiful. Nature IS grand, which is why we should be as good care-takers of her as we can each possibly be.

Boo!

Another October nature sight is the brief reappearance of my favorite field bird, the red-wing blackbird. The red-wings leave the early part of August for points north, then stop by for a couple of days before heading south where they'll stay until February. We used to see them gather by the hundreds, perching on the tops of the trees in the woods, but the last three years, only a few dozen stop on the way south. I want to believe the others have just found a better food supply, and that these few are the ones really grateful for the care I took of them over the summer who wanted to give a "Thanks and see ya in the Spring" whistle. Nature is also bittersweet.

                             October colors in the Jersey Woods

Steamy, Streamy September

September is migration month for Monarch butterflies...

...and milkweed seeds

In early August, the New York Times headline said what lots of us already knew "2018 is shaping up to be the fourth-hottest year".  More disturbing than that headline was the opening sentence: "This summer of fire and swelter looks a lot like the future that scientists have been warning about in the era of climate change, and it’s revealing in real time how unprepared much of the world remains for life on a hotter planet." Not only is the world unprepared, there are a few places---like Washington, D. C.---where climate change is not just ignored, but ridiculed, and where policies established prior to 2016 to apply the brakes are being ruthlessly undone by the current administration. The White House reduced restrictions on methane emissions this month, the third time since July emission standards were reduced. Methane emissions, of course, are a primary cause of Earth's rising temperatures.

Crabapple berries after the rain

This September was HOT in lots of places. As the month began, dangerously high heat and humidity forced the Columbus City Schools to close early two days, and then to close one entire day. (Most city schools are not air conditioned.) Area schools have closed many times over the years for snow and ice , and even the occasional flooding, but have never closed due to excessive heat. Just another weather-related "first". If you've been paying attention, you've noticed there are a lot of weather-related "firsts" lately.

Bean Hill was a microcosm of what happened in September in many places. Our average high temperature for the month was 79.23⁰, 2.23 degrees above the historic average. Our average low temperature was literally twice as bad: 60.6⁰, 4.6 degrees above the historic average. The brutal day and night temperatures and extremely high humidity caused our vegetables to rot. In the past years most of them have continued to produce through September and even into the beginning of October.  We got a few green peppers and cherry tomatoes after the first week of the month, but cucumbers and paste tomatoes died, the basil blackened, thyme and oregano failed to thrive, and the sage plant--usually a very hardy plant--keeled over dead. 

Anemone

Meadow asters

The above-average temperatures were outdone by the rain. The historic average for Central Ohio in September is 2.92". At Bean Hill, the rainfall measured 6.73", and 4.61 of those inches fell over one 5-day period (9/6-9/10). Little wonder the humidity was so high.

As I write this grim report, autumn has finally arrived in the form of normal temperatures. Today there is a definite and welcome chill in the air, but the first half of October was also much too hot for the time of year. More on that in the next blog. 



I hope the photos will compensate somewhat for this depressing report. The anemone and meadow asters are two of the most welcome September bloomers.

A setting September sun highlights the changing leaves

An august August

Echinacea seed head

August 2018 tied 1934 as the fourth hottest August in U.S. weather history. Overall, 2018 is shaping up to be the fourth hottest year on record world-wide (including many parts of the U.S.). Thankfully, Central Ohio was largely spared from extreme heat for much of the month. In fact, at Bean Hill, the monthly average high was one degree below the historic average. The nights, however, were a different story. Almost half of the night-time lows (fourteen) had temperatures ranging from 5-12⁰ above average. In the great scheme of weather things, higher than normal nighttime temperatures can be more damaging to flora and fauna health than higher than normal daytime temperatures. Taken together, the damage can be permanent.

Giant zinnia

Goldenrod, meadow asters, milkweed

Even though this part of the country escaped aberrant conditions for at least half of the month, there were two abnormal weather events here during August. First, it got very hot toward the end of the month. On 8/27 and 8/28,  the temperature hit 90⁰, with humidity so high the heat index soared well above the actual temperature, creating life-threatening conditions for anyone with respiratory problems. Most of the schools in the Columbus City Schools system have no air-conditioning, and so, for the first time ever, Columbus City students and teachers were dismissed 2.5 hours early both days. 

Tiny aster-like flowers in the meadow

The second event of note was the rain. As we've seen during the past couple of months, it was torrential at times: .82" on 8/1; 1.3" on 8/11; .59" on 8/17; 1.07" on 8/20. August 2018's average rainfall was 4.99", 1.27" above the historic average. The combination of heavy, almost tropical rains, and extreme heat and humidity at the end of the month resulted in Ohio apple orchards losing 50% of the popular honeycrisp crop. It succumbed to a disease called "bitter rot". 

Gardens take on a golden hue

No matter how hot it might get at times, August is the month we begin to see the signs that autumn is on its way. This is the month we begin deadheading echinacea (coneflower). Echinacea will continue to sprout new flowers further down the long stem, so when cutting off the spent heads, we need to be sure to cut above the emerging buds lower down. At Bean Hill, there is a LOT of echinacea, so this is a garden task that takes some time, but it's kind of a zen task, especially on a slightly breezy, not too hot day. You're out there with the bees and the butterflies---all of you focused intensely on the echinacea.

This is the month the meadows begin to turn yellow with the much-maligned, very lovely golden rod, and rudbeckia (black-eyed Susans) replaces echinacea in both gardens and meadows. Meadow asters of various sizes appear; the tiny white ones look like stars.The giant zinnias that have been growing since early June really flourish in August and are spectacular.

Chanterelle mushrooms in the Jersey Woods

This year, a friend discovered chanterelle mushrooms growing in the Jersey Woods. She introduced us to an amazing taste treat. Chanterelles sauteed in butter, chicken stock, and red wine taste and have a mouth-feel like the best filet mignon. No wonder a pound of these things can cost $100. And to think they grow literally in our own backyard!

July and Winged Things

Black Swallowtail on butterfly bush

Looking at NOAA's National Climate Report for July 2018, we didn't fare too badly at Bean Hill. In the contiguous U.S., the average high temperature was 1.9⁰ above the 20th Century average. Ohio's overall high for the month was above average. Despite a scary too-hot start to the month (the first five days our highs ran 90-93⁰ which were 8-10⁰ above normal) with only a trace of rain, by July 6 things dramatically improved. Thankfully, there were only two more 90⁰ days, and two "almost" days (89⁰). We ended up with sixteen of the month's highs being slightly below normal, as were more than half of the month's low temperatures. Bean Hill's average high for July was one degree below the historic average, and the average low was 2.4⁰ below the historic average. Rainfall was down; almost 3/4" below the month's historic average, but we've had a lot of rain during the previous months, so at this point, we're not part of the 34.1% of the nation experiencing drought. That percentage, by the way, is up from 29.7% at the start of the month.

We worried about the absence of bees since May so we added a tiny garden around the base of a central bird-feeding station, packed with plants approved by butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds: Liatris, butterfly weed, echinacea, monarda, sunflower, thyme, borage. I doubt that little patch of pollinator-heaven is responsible, but there have been lots of bees and butterflies in the area this month, and a fair number of hummingbirds. We also introduced seventy-five leafcutter bees this month. Like the mason bees, they're tiny native bees, so not as readily seen as their larger kin.

Monarch on common milkweed

Leafcutter bee (thanks to Pinterest for photo)

 

Yellow Swallowtail on pincushion plant

Swallowtail-to-be on fennel (their favorite!)

Echinacea and heliopsis

Bull thistle aka common thistle

Common milkweed

Bumblebee on white lavender

Pollen-laden honey bee on echinacea

A Green and Soggy June

What a difference a month makes:
Photo of bottle bush on May 20...

June's average high was 81.5⁰; the historic average in 82⁰. So daytime temperatures were normal for the month. However, twenty-one nights had above average temperatures; eleven of those were 10-14⁰ above normal. The average low for this June was 2.4⁰ higher than the historic average. The real story was the rain. It rained, as it's done several times so far this year, too often and too much. June's average rainfall amount in Central Ohio is 4.08" but this year 6.79" were recorded. We were lucky, though. Several parts of Ohio received almost 8" during the month. 

...And on June 30

It's little wonder that everything, even the weeds, are growing like weeds. Grass mowing is never-ending, but finding a time when things aren't too wet to mow is tricky. I've never seen so much crabgrass in the gardens. I've dug out clumps of crabgrass that were a foot in circumference! The upside is that everything is lushly green, and the perennials are putting on a beautiful display, especially the daylilies.

I noted last month the absence of bees, and I'm sorry to say that continues. I've seen no more than three honey bees so far this season. I've been seeing some large bumble bees since May, but still too few. I know our mason bees were busy, which is comforting, and there's evidence that leaf-cutter bees are in the neighborhood. Several kinds of butterflies and fritterlies are around, which is also comforting, and there are lots of the tiny hoverflies (see July 2017 blog) doing their best to pollinate everything. 

The lack of bees flying all around the coneflowers makes me sad. I've already decided to invest in a much larger number of solitary bees next spring than we've done so far. I really urge you to consider making an investment in solitary bees, too. Remember, these are truly gentle bees and you don't have to worry about being stung, much less swarmed. I'll remind you next spring. I might even nag.

Four lovely daylilies and one rain-soaked bee balm flower

May--Too Hot to Handle

By mid-May, looking at the statistics I'd been keeping here at Bean Hill, I predicted we were going to see a record-setting month. I really hoped I'd be proven wrong. I wasn't.

Water iris

While no new daily record highs were set in our immediate area, overall this was the hottest May ever recorded for Central Ohio. Throughout the lower-48, it was the hottest May since the Dust Bowl year 1934. On May 30, it was a reasonable 84⁰ here after five straight days of upper 80's and lower 90's--July and August temperatures--but that day 1,900 U.S. cities tied or set record highs. The United Kingdom experienced its hottest, driest May ever. NOAA reports that May 2018 was Earth's 4th-warmest May on record. But here's the really scary fact: Including this year, the Earth's four warmest Mays all happened in the last five years.

At Bean Hill, I recorded thirty days of above-normal highs, and 27 nights of above-normal lows. Twenty-three days had highs that were 5⁰ or more above normal; sixteen of those days had highs that were 10-15⁰ above normal. Sixteen nights had lows 12-27⁰ above normal. The average day-time high for May 2018 was 81.5⁰--a whopping 8.5⁰ above the historic average. Historically, the month's average low temperature is 52⁰, but this May's average low was 6⁰ above that.

Heirloom peonies.
These beauties are 61 years old!

On top of the heat, the month was very wet. We had 2" more rain than the May average of 3.88". Nearly the entire monthly average (3.47") fell over just four days in the last half of the month. Central Ohio is famous for its humidity, but this year the heat coupled with the abundance of rain gave the place a tropical feel. May is the month in which garden and yard maintenance begin in earnest, and once, more than 5 years ago when temperatures were "normal", it was a really pleasant time to be outside working. In the recent past, it's become a challenge to do any sustained garden work; the month of May has become not so merry.

Poppies

Another thing that I've noticed the past five years is spring flowering plants--irises, peonies, fruit trees--aren't holding their blooms more than a very few days. I think this is related to the wild temperature fluctuations we've been experiencing in the winter months. Plants set buds as early as February that begin to mature, and then comes a freeze, then a warm-up, then another freeze. Last month, when abnormally frigid low temperatures occurred nightly for more than a week, a number of the peonies had already reached more than a foot in height and were topped with young leaves. Probably because of that battering, our peonies bloomed quite late, and then died within four days. Last year, after a too-warm February, the bearded iris grew too fast before the inevitable freeze hit-- not a single one bloomed.

This year, we lost all but two of a dozen lavender plants. I went to Baker's Acres today to try to find some replacements, but they were sold out. While there, I saw a bee gathering nectar from a coneflower, and I watched it a bit before I realized that in this vast perennial nursery, where everything was in flower, that was the only bee to be seen. It made me very sad.

I apologize for this grim blog. We seem to be surrounded by grim news now days, and it's very hard to not be sucked into the black hole of despair.

I hope the beauty of some nature photos can serve as a counter-weight.

Crabapple in bloom

April Showers and Showers and Snow

Wet weather equals mud equals dog
booties. We all hate booties!

To say that April was wet is almost an understatement. Before the month ended, we'd had 175% of our normal rainfall and three times our normal snowfall. Two days saw new record rainfall amounts set for those dates.

Until the very end, the month was grey, grim and cold---much too cold: Two-thirds of the month's days had below normal high temperatures; fifteen of those ranged from 6-21⁰ below normal. Likewise for the nights: Nineteen were below normal; eleven were 5-16⁰ below. Overall, and despite the fact that we had three days with temperatures 11-19⁰ above normal, the month's average was 57⁰ which was 6⁰ below the historic average. The month's night-time average was 36.2⁰, which was 4.8⁰ below the historic average.

I have to admit that I was wishing for some global warming. (I fear I got my wish, given what May has been like, but I'll be covering the so-far freakishly hot weather in May's summary--or summer-y.)

For this gardener, the worst thing about the rain, mud, and bone-chilling cold was that tasks normally begun in mid-March and continued through April couldn't be done. By the time the month ended, I was a good 6-weeks behind schedule. Not being able to get jobs done was bad enough in itself, but not being able to be outside and marvel at the small miracles of Spring left me feeling as grey and grim as the weather.

Crabapple buds and first blossoms

We managed to get onions and peas planted, but we had to bundle up before we could do a thing. I We had lots of wind during the month; not only were they cold, northwesterly winds, many days they were ferocious. The woods behind us suffered a terrible loss of trees over the entire winter, but it was on a warm (actually it was our warmest day in 6 months) but incredibly windy day in April when I heard no fewer than eight trees fall within an hour.

Newly hatched mason bee
and its new home

I took refuge and heart in and from gardening magazines and wildlife websites. I'm embarrassed to admit that it wasn't until April I realized that 2018 is the Year of the Bird. If you want to help build a better world for birds, take the pledge to do one action per month that is bird-beneficial at this  link https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/year-of-the-bird/. Click on "Count me in". If you only want the monthly project information, be sure to unclick the four sites listed below the sign-up.

Peony and Siberian iris buds survived the bitter cold nights

If you enjoy birds and gardening, here are tips for how to create a garden that serves as, or at least naturally and beautifully supplements, your birdfeeder https://www.fix.com/blog/grow-your-own-birdseed/

I discovered that Gardeners Supply has a great informational section called "Learn and Share", covering a variety of topics such as how to create a Backyard Habitat https://www.gardeners.com/how-to?folder=backyard-habitat-articles. I also discovered the online version of the Old Farmer's Almanac has great vegetable-growing advice that we hope will help improve our veggie garden yield https://www.almanac.com/gardening.

Despite the weather, all our flowering trees and our heirloom peonies survived a succession of bitterly cold nights at the very end of the month. The mason bees we over-wintered emerged from their cocoons and were joined at our bee "hotel" by an additional 40 mason bees ordered from Crown Bees.The most exciting April happening, however, was when eight wild turkeys wandered through the backyard one afternoon before disappearing into the woods. Sadly, I couldn't grab a decent camera fast enough, and my phone photos are disappointing. Fingers crossed they'll visit the yard again.