...when strong thunderstorms dumped a huge amount of water (sorry California) and hail upon my garden. The hail wasn't the large-sized stuff that can demolish a shingled roof or dimple your car like a golfball, but there was so much of it!
All of these photos were taken about 10-15 minutes after the heart of the storm had passed, and you can see that the hail on the sidewalks has already melted:
The deck though held onto the stuff for quite a long time:
It's interesting to see how the geometry of the roof kept the hail from landing right next to the house -- most of it piled up a few feet away.
Fun stuff...
...unless you're an early-emerging plant...
...like this Allium. I love having ornamental onions in the garden because nothing will bother them -- not deer, not rabbits, not woodchucks -- but they are susceptible to weather damage...
...and this one really took some damage!
I don't know how much rain actually fell because my rain gauge jar was turned over, but it was really coming down! These photos grabbed from a video I was taking are trying to show the creek flowing down past my cactus beds. (These were also taken through a rain-streaked window so they're extra blurry)
I've 95% decided that I need to create a dry creekbed over here this year, as this storm removed whatever mulch was remaining (and probably some soil too). It was "fun" seeing a rivulet flow right over my newly-planted Clematis tibetana var. vernayi 'Orange Peel' as it joined the main stream.
There are lots of photos and videos about the hail -- which blanketed the ground like snow just a couple of miles from my house -- and flooding on this St. Louis news page.
So is Spring providing you with any excitement this year?
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Hey, we had OUR OWN rain in Northern California yesterday. Almost 3/4 of an inch in Davis. The most rain we've had since December, I believe. Some places had hail, too, but we were spared. I know how much (cosmetic) damage it can do.
ReplyDeleteGerhard: that's good to hear! Now you just need to get that every week for a couple of months...
ReplyDeleteSorry about your allium damage but the hail sure looks exciting as does the rivulet through your garden. A dry creek bed sounds like a good idea for that spot! Spring here has been relatively calm, knock wood!
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