Spring update #3 Tree Leaf out begins, First Daffodil of the Season

Willow with new leaves emerging with Elm in flower behind March 21st 2015

Spring is continuing to progress here in Southern Iowa and now it is really starting to become visible to many residents. Lawns have begun to turn green and early trees and shrubs such as Lilac bushes and Willow have begun to develop leaves adding a rare hint of green on a relatively dull landscape. My Northern Gold forsythia has just started to bloom today which adds vivid yellow. I will post photos once it reaches full flower. As for trees, Silver Maples have completed their flowering but Red Maple flower buds are starting to open. Elms are still in full swing but all of these trees in their flowering stage do not appear to be doing much of anything to most people unless you look closely. Ornamental trees such as Crabapples, Magnolias, Redbuds and Ornamental pear all have buds swelling and breaking but not much easily visual is going on. I noticed my Magnolia has shed the first layer of its buds and flower petals usually become visible next, in the weeks to come they will become spectacular.

 

Tete a Tete Daffodil March 20th 2015

In spring bulbs We have left Crocus season and have entered the Daffodil season as the first Daffodil opened on the first day of spring! ( March 20th ) Daffodils are my favorite flower and I especially like this Tete a Tete variety which is a miniature yellow Daffodil. They tend to be earlier then standard Daffodils but even they are not far behind and will be blooming in a few days.

Siberian Squill March 21st 2015

Siberian Squill bloomed this week as well. These are another "minor"  flowering spring bulb. Only 3" tall but their striking blue flowers look fantastic next to the Yellow Daffodils!

Spring bulbs garden March 21st 2015

Here is a look at how the garden as a whole looks this week. As can be seen miniature Daffodils have begun to flower. Standard daffodils are getting very close to blooming and now just barely see the flower buds on the tulips which means they will not be far behind either. The next 2-3 weeks will be very beautiful week to be in Southern Iowa as some of the most beautiful flowering trees and plants will start to fill our everyday landscapes! Please take a little time to go outside enjoy this wonderful time of year.

2/1/15 Central Iowa Snowstorm Report

Snowfall in Cumming, IA February 1st

Our weekend snowstorm has ended here in central and southern Iowa leaving behind a think blanket of snow ranging from 12 to as high as 14 inches. The concentrated totals between 12 and 14 inches seems to be confined to around from Madrid and the north side of the Des Moines metro eastward through parts of Marshall and Jasper counties.  Here in Cumming I got a hefty one foot of snow. This came on the heels of a very mild end January, and a relatively quiet snowfall season because this snow by far surpasses anything we've had around here so far. Everyone remembers the 50s we had last week week, the ground was thawed and spring bulbs were starting to peek out, So much for an early spring in January! It's this mild airmass that actually helped feed even more moisture into the storm causing the high amounts. The snowfall is so thick I would not be surprised if the ground remained thawed underneath until the snow melts.

Snow covering spruce trees February 1st 2015

Our storm started on the west coast before moving into the middle of the country. Ahead of it continued our mild air mass, in fact the storm started as rain that was falling much of Saturday. I received 0.21" of rain before it started to change over to snow. Colder air was pulled in from the north and temperatures fell to about 33-34.F where is staid for the duration of the storm. Rain turned to heavy snow in this part of Iowa Saturday right around dusk and it lasted all night long and even into much of Sunday. Travel was inhibited and most people staid home, the convenient Sunday timing kept travel hazards to a minimum. Sunday afternoon winters cold air was finally pulled in and temperatures fell into the teens where they will stay for at least one day.

Heavy wet snow causing branches to be weighted down

The snow in nature was a classic concrete style snow. Very wet and heavy. A lack of wind and stickiness of the snow caused it to stick to tree branches and causing some breakage leading to power outages. At one point there were a couple thousand without power around the Des Moines metropolitan area. I found several large tree limbs that had broken off around my neighborhood, thankfully it was minimum around here and the power staid on, which was not the case in all areas. Looks like winter has finally really hit us here in Iowa. When can we look foreword to some decent melting? Not until next weekend!

Redirecting

This is a post to let my viewers know I have moved my blog. About a year ago now I have been invited to make weather posts at a very well known website called Iowa Weather Network. They welcomed the same kinds of posts I've been making here, including my horticultural posts, they even created a gardening tab just for me! For the past year I've been making double sets of posts, one here and then copying the same post and making one to Iowa Weather Network. I also stopped making forecast posts which other staff members of Iowa Weather Network can provide for me. As for my remaining posts, I have received a much higher frequency of viewers and a wider market at Iowa Weather Network so I've decided it would be easier just to maintain one blog with them. I will be keeping this blog open for sentimental reasons that I've had it since 2008.


By focusing on just 1 blog viewers can expect  higher quality posts from me and forecasting brought back into service by other members. There are also many great add ons there.

 For continued service from me and other great services please go to Iowa Weather Network and be sure to look up the gardening tab!

Fall color report #7 Peak color arrives in Southern Iowa!

Fall color in a public area near Downtown Des Moines October 23rd 2014

We have reached peak color here in Des Moines! Color is at its highest and and is not expected to get brighter here in southern Iowa. Even interesting to note, even though we have reached peak there is still a descent amount of green in some areas. About 90% of trees have turned color here in Des Moines. This year has been a great year for colors as they have been outstanding. Oaks are beautiful shades of orange, burgundy and yellow. Maples are orange, yellow and red. Hickory trees are golden yellow, Ginkgo trees are gold, and burning bushes and sumac are the most intense red at this time. It's a great time to view fall colors so make sure you get out there! This will be the last weekend for best viewing! Warm temperatures ahead will likely quickly expire the best colors. Don't forget about Iowas native prairie areas! Prairie are their most beautiful in fall when grasses turn in their fall colors. I drove past some over the past couple days and they are just outstanding right now!

Fall color report #7

The regional map reviles that the northern part of Iowa is now past peak and the best colors have faded. The rest of the start, including southern and parts of central Iowa are at peak now and should be enjoyed! Friends in Northern Missouri, Kansas and Southern Illinois should be prepared to be next in line for peak fall color, as they will be there next week. I expect because of the warmth ahead, most of Iowa will be past peak by mid to end of the week next week.

Fall color report #6 Color is peaking or high across all of Iowa. Now is the time to enjoy!

Fall colors in Sugar maple next to Hyvee in Ankeny, IA October 19th

Fall color continues to progress very fast here in southern Iowa. Color is now abundant and beautiful in all trees species. Maples are turning beautiful shades of burgundy, fire red,orange and yellow. Silvers maples and Hickories are turning golden yellow. Oaks are turning yellow and red. 63rd street between West Des Moines and Norwalk is especially beautiful right now. Looking at the entire tree canopy shows color is high and painted with beautiful colors, and it looks great with the Des Moines city skyline! I would rate Des Moines at High Color with 80% of trees now turned colors. Peak fall color should happen by the end of this upcoming week. Now is the time to see colors in this part of Iowa so get out and enjoy!

Fall color report #5

Now the entire state of Iowa is either in high or peak color. Fall color is now at its peak roughly north of Highway 20. Spencer is still holding only peak color, but I've heard that trees are loosing leaves quite fast in the northern part of the state. South of 20 high color is being found and it is great for viewing. I expect the northern part of Iowa will be past peak by the end of next week and the remainder of the start will reach its peak in the next few days to the end of this week. Be sure to get out and enjoy these beautiful colors!

Fall Color Report #5 Color is high in the north. Also what were the highs seen on this beautiful day?

Fall color in Red Maple/Silver maple cross October 16th 2014

Fall colors are continuing to progress quickly this week across the area. I would put Des Moines now at Moderate Color with 50% of the trees now showing at least some color. Now every city street has at least some color showing in some trees. Streets with Maples, Hackberries or Ash are beautiful and showing lots of color. Burning bushes are also beautiful shades of fire red right now. Sugar Maples are especially beautiful at this time showing shades of orange red yellow and green on one tree. One spot in particular is on the east side of Des Moines in one of the neighborhoods off 235 where there are several established Sugar Maples turning. Looking at the entire tree canopy now shows dotted trees turning colors or orange, yellow and red. However even with all this there is still a large percentage of mid to late turning trees such as Oaks, Poplars and Basswoods which are still very green. Now through the next week and a half is the time to see beautiful colors in the Des Moines area and Southern Iowa.

Fall color report #5

The fall color map now shows the northern part of Iowa has reached peak  or has high color. Now is the time to view fall colors in such places as Decorah, Spencer, Mason City and Waterloo, as colors are high and as bright as they are going to be, so if in this area get out and enjoy! The rest of the state has now progressed to moderate color. Colors have actually started to come in so fast that in some areas fall colors have went right to high color category just in the last few days. Recent frosts have helped triggered the progression of colors. If everything continues as scheduled the rest of the state should start to reach high or peak color next week or the last week of October.

Today would have been a beautiful day for viewing the fall foliage as highs were in the low to mid 70s statewide. It certainly felt like a summers day in the middle of October! Below is a list of highs reached in southern central Iowa

Des Moines-Fairmount Park 76.F
Des Moines International Airport 76.F
 Perry 76.F
 Norwalk 76.F
Ankeny 75.F
Ames 75.F
 Indianola 75.F
Pella 74.F
Boone 73.F
Knoxville 73.F
Newton 73.F
Marshalltown 72.F

Fall color report #4 Cooler weather leads to increasing color change, especially in the north.

Beautiful Sugar Maple near Downtown last week

Fall color this week has picked up significantly now that cooler weather has made its way back into the picture. Sugar and Red Maples are starting to have an abundance of color. Soon those will be peaking. I've also seen Silver Maple just now starting to join the show turning yellow, Hackberry is also turning yellow. An Oak or two is starting to turn as well. In areas with early to mid changing trees, color is bright and abundant, but there are still large areas of green and even trees turning are not at their brightest yet. Ash trees have lost most of their leaves now and have past peak. Over all I would say here in Des Moines we have Low Color 40% which is a significant increase from last week. We will soon be reaching the moderate color category. I expect that will happen by the middle to end of this week.

Fall color report #4

The fall color report reflects the change in colors across the region. Moderate color has drifted into many parts of Northern Iowa including Mason City and Waterloo. I've seen photos of fall color from Northeast Iowa lately that has been very nice. If your in northern Iowa now through the next 2 weeks would be the time to start enjoying those colors! In the rest of the state low color remains but even this part of the state will soon be joining the northern part of the state, by this time northern Iowa should have an abundance of color. Peak fall colors can be expected to be moving into parts of the state by as early as next week so leafers in the north be prepared!