Spring Bulbs

The challenge when we lived in New England was to order the bulbs and get them planted in the fall before the cold weather came and the ground froze.  There were many times that I was out on a cold autumn day racing to get the bulbs in the ground before the first winter storm.

Things are different in Central Texas, where the ground doesn't freeze.  In fact, the bulbs were ordered in the fall, but as soon as they arrived they went right into the refrigerator to get the appropriate number of weeks of cooling before being planted.  Like a lot of plants, most of the bulbs that we associate with spring require cold weather to produce spring flowers.

Finally, the time came to remove the bulbs from the refrigerator and get them into the ground.  Luckily, the bed had been prepared in the fall, so the recent gardening task was to get them plopped into the ground so they could settle in and start growing for a spring display (next month?)

The biggest challenge, of course, is to choose varieties that will not be tempting to our voracious deer population.  Experts assure me that deer do not eat daffodils (we'll see) and the bulb supplier (in Connecticut) testified that deer would not bother hyacinthoides (scylla, or squills).  Now all we have to do is wait and see if 1) the cooling period was long enough, and 2) if, in fact, deer will not find the new growth appetizing!

 

Winter Weather

It is cold in Central Texas.  From what I can tell, it is cold everywhere in the continental United States except southern California, so it appears we are in this boat together.  On the one hand, we certainly can't complain about the cold here, as the winter weather is more treacherous each mile as one heads north.  The difference, however, is that other parts of the country are better equipped to handle the cold than we are in Central Texas.

Houses in this region do not have basements, and often water pipes are exposed to the cold.  The inevitable happens in a lot of residences--burst pipes. The local news reported that many plumbers would be working all night tonight to come to the aid of homeowners whose pipes have burst.

Many homes do not have central heating, and in fact even houses with central heating often rely on heat pumps, a mechanism that is best suited to areas where there is minimal cold.  Many people rely on space heaters, which are often the cause for fires when they are not kept in good repair.  In short, generally residents of Central Texas are not prepared for sustained cold spells.

Last winter we had nothing that could pass for cold weather.  Our cannas, for example, never died back completely all winter long.  This winter is proving much harder on those plants that cannot tolerate the cold.  I have noticed damage to our lantanas and oleanders already.  It will be interesting to see what actually survives the weather which has already been described officially as the coldest temperatures in the area for 20 years.  For the sake of people unprepared for cold temperatures and the farmers who depend on mild winters for crops such as citrus and strawberries, I hope the weather moderates soon.

In the meantime, we continue to have spectacular sunsets right outside the back door.

Texas Dance Halls

I have written before about Gruene Hall, located about 10 minutes from our home, which bills itself as "Texas' oldest dance hall." Though I have deep roots in Texas, I always thought of Gruene Hall as one of a kind.  After all, I never saw dance halls while growing up in Dallas.

What I needed to do was to adjust my sights to Central Texas, the land settled by Germans and Czechs in the 19th century.  Those Central Europeans did not only bring sausage and beer to Central Texas, they also brought their love of dancing.  And today, though the two step has replaced the polka, a number of the dance halls still survive.

I never thought the Central Texas dance halls would make it to the exalted repertoire of National Public Radio until yesterday's story on "Morning Edition." I almost swallowed my toothbrush when I heard John Burnet 's story about the most recently-renovated establishment, Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg, Texas.  Burnet reports that at one time there were about 1000 such dance halls operating, largely in the Central Texas region settled by Czechs and Germans; today there are only half that number, and most of them are rotting away in rural areas.  Sengelmannn got a million dollar makeover, thanks to a Houston philanthropist, and it appears to be as impressive as the date it first opened.

One fact is certain:  after a million-dollar makeover, Sengelmann must seem like a palace.  Come to New Braunfels, and we will take you to Gruene Hall:  screens instead of walls on two sides, a hardwood floor that dips and weaves, the smell of spilled beer and 100 years of tobacco smoke in every fixture, a potbellied stove near the bar pumping out heat to take the chill off  (for at least a radius of 25 feet) and you will know that you are in the real deal, not a makeover.

Winter Sunsets

We have been having spectacular sunsets in recent days.  What a special time this has been as we turned the page on an old year and entered a new decade--a rare "blue"  moon and colorful sunsets!  Our house faces east, so the sunsets brighten our back yard and gardens.  Since our house is constructed with large and spacious windows across the back, these sunsets light up the entire house with their rich colors for a few minutes each evening.

It is a popular misconception that colorful sunsets are the serendipitous result of manmade dust and pollution.  As a scientist at NOAA says, if that were the case, then cities such as London, New York City and Los Angeles would be  would be celebrated for their twilight hues.  In fact, tropospheric aerosols (i.e. dust) do not enhance sky colors; they subdue them.  Clean air is the main ingredient in brightly-colored sunrises and sunsets.

Sunlight takes a longer path through the atmosphere at sunrise and sunset than during the middle part of the day.  Because an increased amount of violet and blue light is scattered out of the beam along the way, the light which reaches an observer is reddened.  Sunsets are red because the daytime sky is blue!

So why are winter sunsets so  frequently more spectacular than those of summer?  Air circulation is more sluggish during the summer, and the photochemical reactions which result in the formation of smog proceed more rapidly at that time of the year.  Winter sunsets are more colorful in fact because the air is circulating more briskly and the clearer air yields the brightest colors.

Enjoy this evening's sunset!  And for the full effect, click on the picture for a view that will fill your screen.