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Kingston: It's been COLD since the ice storm hit about 4 days ago. We've been below -20C probably 5 times already. However, we do have a solid snow base under the ice layer (which is thick enough to easily support human weight), and there's more snow arriving today. More low temps on the way too after a brief warmup this weekend.
As a plus the ice made for the most beautiful Christmas I've ever seen. Too bad all (most) of the half-hardy stuff is protected! Some pics:
Acer griseum:
Miscanthus gigantus (floridus), the stems are 12' "high":
Cylindropuntia viridiflora:
Other cacti and a Yucca (leaves tied to prevent flattening by snow. Apparently it works for ice too)
Various Yucca:
Yucca gloriosa (Tennessee seed):
Another Cylindropuntia, probably imbricata:
Another view of the cactus garden:
Yaaaaa, this is a zone 4. The Spruce do very well with a heavy load:
Shagbark Hickory:
Young White Pine, not as good with the ice load:
Phyllostachys aureosulcata "Alata":
Willow leaf oak:
Kalmia:
Various Rhodo's:
Ilex pendunculosa:
Fargesia nitida:
Heptacodium's spectacular exfoliating bark is amazing in the ice... But hard to get a picture:
A few more Rhody's:
Thanks for looking.
Paul
Oh and happy xmas.
Posted : 26/12/2013 10:52 am
Holly Smoke! Very nice but this ice made the plants too fragile! Hope it gonna melt this weekend making the stems having less weight....
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Posted : 26/12/2013 11:13 am
Paul, did you lose power at all? Are you protecting any plants with supplemental heat? My relatives in Toronto were without power for about 92 hours. Here in NS, most of the coastal areas (including Halifax) were spared from the freezing rain.
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Posted : 26/12/2013 2:38 pm
Thanks for the pictures! Oklahoma had a bunch of ice, too, but it finally melted and we are above freezing this afternoon.
Glad you had power, and a Feliz Navidad to you, too.
Posted : 26/12/2013 4:09 pm
I dont recall ever seeing ice so thick!
I bet if those cactus could talk they would say
"we are not interested in evolution if it means this $#!^!" 🙂
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Posted : 27/12/2013 9:35 am
Topic starter
Ha!
Cam, no the power here is below ground so we did not lose it at all. Neither did my place in Toronto (luckily).
The ice is thick but it's perhaps 1/2 to 2/3rds the amount we had back in '98.
We have 2 days forecast to be above 0C so there's some hope that some of the ice will be gone in a couple days...
Posted : 27/12/2013 9:44 am
Incredible photos Paul, have never seen ice accumulations like that.
If only the sun had been shining through all that ice.
Hope everything springs back up nicely.
Barb
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If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
Posted : 27/12/2013 1:24 pm
Hi Paul
lots of ice there! Those cactus look really cool in all that ice. I hope you don't get to much damage! 😯
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Posted : 31/12/2013 10:58 am
