You just have to be quick. Think of the short bursts of yard activity as getting in shape for April and May.

According to some extended forecasts, this weekend may have moments of sun.

More extended forecasts call for a grim spring followed by a blazing summer and pleasant autumn. Really extended forecasts, as in 50 years from now call for cold and dark springs and hotter summers. Seattle being like Portland just part of the normal variations here, as shown by alternating layers of golden chinkapin pollen in one or more local peat bogs. When it gets to be like the Willamette Valley up here the tree migrates up here and is apparently abundant, when it gets like it has been during our lives and farther back a ways the tree almost entirely dies out.

But the 50 year outlook is supposed to be calling for a changed climate, not the return of a frequently repeated variation.

RAIN!!! GRRR! I am SO over it...last year I was gardening in Feb!!! Torrential downpour today, stayed inside and pouted! I wanna plant stuff!!! I was at the Nanaimo Hort Soc. mtg and signed up for the garden tour...WHAT was I thinking!!?? Asking Master Gardeners to my sad little plot? Well at least they will feel better about the tiny imperfections in their yards!!!heh heh!

every spring, pacNWerners totally lose perspective. we always have springs where months reverse. feb warmer than march. etc.

last year, i remember walking on the beach, feet in the water, tee shirt on. ON PRESIDENTS DAY. but i also remember april/may/june, where nights were still in the high 30's low 40's and my tomatoes were shrinking day to day.

We normally do have a lovely dry and sunny couple of weeks in February but this year they were in January and it was too early to do much....

It must pay to complain. There were a few glimpses of the sun today but it is just too soggy and still too cold to do anything in the yard. The weatherman is "suggesting" that there might be more sun on the weekend. Please, please, please, be right...

Master Gardeners are just people who have been through the course. It's not as encompassing as it sounds, is really instead rather hyperbolic.

High temperature to date in Portland for 2011 remains January 14.
That was two full months ago. Been raining ever since.

I love gardening in the cooler weather rather than warmer weather. There is so much to do. It's easy to warm up when working in the garden. This past weekend even though it was a little rainy I went out and pulled weeds and pruned. Then picked up a couple of yards of bark dust and finally finished putting it all out last night in the rain. My plan is to be able to enjoy the garden once the sun starts shining!!!