OMG! This weather! (Atlanta, Savannah, Statesboro: 2014, high schools, areas)

[CoastalGAGuy]

There is a reason why all you see are annuals (with irrigation), crape myrtles and Japanese hollies. Its because hardly anything else grows here.

Wait... It's impossible to keep plants wet enough in Savannah? It's much more a matter of the sun. You can't put hardly anything in full sun around here and expect it to survive. Dappled shade in Savannah is what northern people consider "full sun." Many people have beautiful and varied gardens. It just takes some understanding and careful consideration of exposure.

What's a Japanese Holly? There are native hollies, especially on barrier islands...
But, hydrangeas, camelias, azaleas, jasmine, loquat, bougainvillaea, mondevilla, clematis, ferns, lantana, citrus trees, roses (they do really well, actually), and a whole host of other options all work wonderfully well. This isn't Ohio, but it is an abundantly green place with lots of successful crops and gardens growing everywhere. Why not check out a gardening class at Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens Home

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by CoastalGAGuy

Wait... It's impossible to keep plants wet enough in Savannah? It's much more a matter of the sun. You can't put hardly anything in full sun around here and expect it to survive. Dappled shade in Savannah is what northern people consider "full sun." Many people have beautiful and varied gardens. It just takes some understanding and careful consideration of exposure.

What's a Japanese Holly? There are native hollies, especially on barrier islands...
But, hydrangeas, camelias, azaleas, jasmine, loquat, bougainvillaea, mondevilla, clematis, ferns, lantana, citrus trees, roses (they do really well, actually), and a whole host of other options all work wonderfully well. This isn't Ohio, but it is an abundantly green place with lots of successful crops and gardens growing everywhere. Why not check out a gardening class at Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens Home

You are right about all those plants, and they are lovely. What I meant was, that I loose many of my former favorites because they burn out here (for example ANYTHING in a clay pot). Some things (bulbs) rotted from being too wet. Then, the new semi tropical plants I try, freeze and die. My orange tree (which had flowers, but only one orange hasn't fallen off) spends the winter in the garage, after two unsuccessful citrus trees in the ground. Don't even get me started on "the gumbo". Plants do well for 2 years until the roots hit the gumbo.

I have been thinking about that Master Gardener Class at the Bamboo Farm. Lord knows I need it. I think we might get a shallow well, too, just so we can water our brains out.

[BullochResident]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Strangely enough, there's a noticeable difference in the "tropical-ness" between Savannah and even Brunswick. If you've ever spent much time exploring Jekyll or Cumberland islands, you'll notice this. I think it starts somewhere around Darien and the Altamaha River. Everything south of there along I-95 feels more like "Florida" to me than points north.

Also, Savannah is a very popular tourist destination for Floridians. Ask any of them how much it reminds them of home, and I think the answer is pretty obvious.

The interior parts of Florida bear some resemblance to the interior parts of Georgia's coastal plain, with exceptions of course. Mostly miles and miles of flat, swampy pine woods.

Jekyll Island still looks pretty good, but once you cross Jacksonville and get into St. Johns county, it goes downhill fast.

[gentlearts]

Oh baby, it sure did rain today. I swear, I've never seen it rain like it rains in Georgia. The power was off for about 3 hours in Pooler.
Makes me think of the best version of A Rainy Night in Georgia, ca. 1968, Richie Havens. I lived in Rockmart then, and first experienced that hard GA rain.

[pink caddy]

Now dats what I call rain! Could it have been 5" ??? If that was snow in the north East in Jan. they would have been still digging it out lol

[Galounger]

People on CD have often talked about how Atlanta and other parts of the South get rainfall equal to or exceeding that of places like Seattle or Portland but rain doesn't fall the same way and thus doesn't ruin entire days in Atlanta.

Well a perfect example of this explanation was displayed yesterday in not Atlanta but Savannah.

I visited Saturday and the Historic District was absolutely bustling with tourist everywhere. The weather was the typical hot and humid you expect in August with the sky ranging from sunny to increasingly cloudy (Not that you noticed it much underneath the shade canopy of trees in the parks and squares and residential streets of Savannah.)

Then I'm guessing around 3:30 I heard the first vague rumblings of Thunder in Forsyth Park. Then just as I was on my way to a pub downtown around 4:00pm the clouds completely burst.

I mean it gushed and gushed rain furiously like I've rarely ever seen before. Everybody on the full streets scrambled for cover and most (including me) were drenched if caught in it for even a few seconds. The streets quickly filled up with water in some areas and drains began to spout water. Cars carefully made there way through ponds on Liberty and other streets.

I made my way to the Pub and patiently waited with a crowd of customers and refugees for it to subside so I could make my way to a restaurant close by.

About 30 or 40 minutes passed before I could make a dash for my car but it was still very much umbrella weather. (Ordinarily I would have kept the car there and walked as everything is close together in Savannah but under the circumstances made my way to a parking garage closer to the restaurant.)

As I ate at the Establishment I killed about another 30 minutes and when I left it was still sprinkling and light rain but not too much for me to go for a walk down Broughton. Before my walk was done it hit 6:00 the rain stopped and the sun shone bright (almost too bright). Everyone was back out River Street was very much Alive when I decided to spend the rest of the Day there. At night fall it was still dry and almost all the water in the streets was gone. River Street and the City Market were both packed and jumping with partyiers.

The Meteorologist are saying anywhere from 2.5 to 5 inches fell yesterday and I believe them. But you couldn't tell by all the fun I and everyone else had throughout most of the day and night.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Galounger

People on CD have often talked about how Atlanta and other parts of the South get rainfall equal to or exceeding that of places like Seattle or Portland but rain doesn't fall the same way and thus doesn't ruin entire days in Atlanta.

Well a perfect example of this explanation was displayed yesterday in not Atlanta but Savannah.

I visited Saturday and the Historic District was absolutely bustling with tourist everywhere. The weather was the typical hot and humid you expect in August with the sky ranging from sunny to increasingly cloudy (Not that you noticed it much underneath the shade canopy of trees in the parks and squares and residential streets of Savannah.)

Then I'm guessing around 3:30 I heard the first vague rumblings of Thunder in Forsyth Park. Then just as I was on my way to a pub downtown around 4:00pm the clouds completely burst.

I mean it gushed and gushed rain furiously like I've rarely ever seen before. Everybody on the full streets scrambled for cover and most (including me) were drenched if caught in it for even a few seconds. The streets quickly filled up with water in some areas and drains began to spout water. Cars carefully made there way through ponds on Liberty and other streets.

I made my way to the Pub and patiently waited with a crowd of customers and refugees for it to subside so I could make my way to a restaurant close by.

About 30 or 40 minutes passed before I could make a dash for my car but it was still very much umbrella weather. (Ordinarily I would have kept the car there and walked as everything is close together in Savannah but under the circumstances made my way to a parking garage closer to the restaurant.)

As I ate at the Establishment I killed about another 30 minutes and when I left it was still sprinkling and light rain but not too much for me to go for a walk down Broughton. Before my walk was done it hit 6:00 the rain stopped and the sun shone bright (almost too bright). Everyone was back out River Street was very much Alive when I decided to spend the rest of the Day there. At night fall it was still dry and almost all the water in the streets was gone. River Street and the City Market were both packed and jumping with partyiers.

The Meteorologist are saying anywhere from 2.5 to 5 inches fell yesterday and I believe them. But you couldn't tell by all the fun I and everyone else had throughout most of the day and night.

Were you participating in the Get Leighed Pub Crawl?

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Oh baby, it sure did rain today. I swear, I've never seen it rain like it rains in Georgia. The power was off for about 3 hours in Pooler.
Makes me think of the best version of A Rainy Night in Georgia, ca. 1968, Richie Havens. I lived in Rockmart then, and first experienced that hard GA rain.

Typical southern summer torrential downpour. They also call it a tropical downpour. You don't find those up north... as you already know.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Were you participating in the Get Leighed Pub Crawl?

No just visiting friends and checked out a few places.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by WanderingImport

Typical southern summer torrential downpour. They also call it a tropical downpour. You don't find those up north... as you already know.

I once spent a June in Columbus Ohio where it would just stop raining. Both mild thunderstorms and all day soakers. The streets kept flooding and it stayed jacket weather cool most of the month.