The only thing I have planted out is my onions. The ground is just too soggy to do anything else. I started peas and cole crops by wintersowing in milk jugs, and they are staying there for a while! I could mud them in if it were a little dryer, but the ground is too wet to work. I have hopes that it will dry out a little next week. Of course, the weatherman keeps promising "next week", but next week never seems to get here.

The weather this year is supposed to make you feel better about the weather last year, by comparison, and in hindsight.

Portland example: Last year 5th wettest March @PDX. This year wettest March @PDX. Records started 1941.

We have put off planting potatoes for another week.

I like this weather at this time of year. Normal as near as I can figure. I've been transplanting ornamentals as fast as I can. Ground covers too. Cool temps make for good working weather. Rain? I work between the drops. ;-) Learned that as a landscaper.
Mike..retired

I'm with Botann, this is what passes for spring around here. The main difference between spring and winter here, is daylength, and degree of frost. 12 hrs daylight and temps generally above freezing, compared to 8 hrs daylight and temps oscillating above and below freezing with occasional plunges into the 20s and teens.

Summer in Oly, at any rate, doesn't arrive until the 4th of July. The cold northern Pacific Ocean keeps us cold in spring and slow to warm up. On the flip side it's slow to cool off in fall too, if it ever really gets warm in summer that is.

I was just looking at the WA state climatologist's website last night (bet you didn't know we had one!) and according to them, Oly is running right about normal, maybe 2 degrees cooler than average, and a bit above average precipitation. We did set a 24hr-snowfall record in January but it wasn't all that cold. Of course no year is going to be completely average since the average is a middle point.

Yeah it's still cool and wet, but the birds are singing, the early spring blooms are out, I've seen bumblebees and garter snakes, and it's light when I get up and still light after dinner.

FWIW my MD has me taking vitamin D supplements to ward off seasonal depression caused by the cloudy weather. He says it's pretty standard around here for people to need that.

Here is a link that might be useful: WA State Climatologist

Earlier it was stated here that the northern Pacific cooled in 2006 and that is why we have had some cold seasons since. This month there have been some brightly sunny intervals, there is one happening right now on Camano Island.

I had all of my Escallonia, Star Jasmine and Frost Proof Gardenia survive this winter looking great, first time in the 7 years I've lived at my home in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Usually all of them are badly damaged or dead by Spring. But it has been awfully grey this later winter/Spring, can't wait to get more sun.

My Jasmine also survived the winter, only the second time in 20 years.

Yes, our springs are depressing. A few hours of sun would be most appreciated. My phormium survived the past winter in a pot with no protection. It looks wonderful. The other plants that look "wonderful" are the weeds. Boy, can they grow in this damp, cold weather!

Shot weed or Herb Robert anyone? Those have been the most prolific at my place

Look at the roots of the potted New Zealand flax before you decide it is all there. Roots are the first thing to go when plants in pots freeze. That is why an overwintered specimen can look good until it tries to make top growth, then collapse. Even though the top didn't freeze, the roots did, and are not there to support expansion of the top.

I need to make annual trips to Phoenix in March, I'm so over the rain and gray.

As long as this thread is on the first page, it's going to keep raining.

See, this is a magic place.