The Density of Lushness

Is it just me or have our environs turned into something approaching a tropical rain forest?

I've been in northern Michigan the past week - way up north. Got home late last night, so today was the first time I had a good look at the neighborhood while driving around doing errands.

And I was just so struck by how LUSH everything is. The trees look like they're bursting with leaves and might swallow the road. Vines running up the trees are bigger than I've ever seen. Spots on the lawn that are usually bare  are bursting with blades of grass. Formerly scraggly bushes are covered in new growth.

And for a splash of color, the damn impatiens are mutant-sized.

And on and on.

There's just so much green!

I happen to hate green as a color for pretty much anything except fauna. But I love the greenness of the spring and summer and look forward to it every year.


But this is a bit scary.


And we’re so dry - in what should be our Wet season - that in my front yard I have a pineapple almost ready to harvest (3 months early), but our herbs and salad veg are failing. LOL


Where are you in MIchigan?  I was possibly going to the Upper Peninsula this week, but plans changed. And yeah, it's getting like a rain forest.  It's raining too much. I want to go to the beach.


Its like paradise. I have more hummingbirds bellying up to the flower bar than ever before.

My wrens have fledged, the doe and her fawn are sipping from the rain filled fountain, the woodchucks are frolicking and the raccoons have water to wash their food.

The feral cats are squeaky clean.

All's right with the world.


nan said:
Where are you in MIchigan?  I was possibly going to the Upper Peninsula this week, but plans changed. And yeah, it's getting like a rain forest.  It's raining too much. I want to go to the beach.

 I was in Harrisville, which is on Lake Huron , about 2.5 hours south of Mackinaw City.



Morganna said:
Its like paradise. I have more hummingbirds bellying up to the flower bar than ever before.
My wrens have fledged, the doe and her fawn are sipping from the rain filled fountain, the woodchucks are frolicking and the raccoons have water to wash their food.
The feral cats are squeaky clean.
All's right with the world.

 Don't forget the rabbits!  I'm seeing more this summer than ever - even in places that normally don't have rabbits.


erins said:


Morganna said:
Its like paradise. I have more hummingbirds bellying up to the flower bar than ever before.
My wrens have fledged, the doe and her fawn are sipping from the rain filled fountain, the woodchucks are frolicking and the raccoons have water to wash their food.
The feral cats are squeaky clean.
All's right with the world.
 Don't forget the rabbits!  I'm seeing more this summer than ever - even in places that normally don't have rabbits.

 Wow haven't seen them on my land but I do have the occasional fox. Snapped this baby last winter.



Driving through the Watchung Reservation, there are stretches so green and lush and overgrown and vine-y you expect to see Toucans in the trees.  


drummerboy said:


nan said:
Where are you in MIchigan?  I was possibly going to the Upper Peninsula this week, but plans changed. And yeah, it's getting like a rain forest.  It's raining too much. I want to go to the beach.
 I was in Harrisville, which is on Lake Huron , about 2.5 hours south of Mackinaw City.



That's nice.  I like MIchagan, although I've only really been in Ann Arbor and in the UP near Houghton.  Up there it's like going back in time.   


drummerboy said:

I happen to hate green as a color for pretty much anything except fauna. But I love the greenness of the spring and summer and look forward to it every year.

But this is a bit scary.

I'm sure you mean flora, not fauna. cheese

It is a bit scary. I think it was about 2011 when our summers became tropical. I guess if I became a Republican, then I would have nothing to worry about.

Can someone please post a recent picture of Maplewood? I haven't visited in a few months. Thanks.


Tom_Reingold said:


drummerboy said:

I happen to hate green as a color for pretty much anything except fauna. But I love the greenness of the spring and summer and look forward to it every year.

But this is a bit scary.
I'm sure you mean flora, not fauna. cheese
It is a bit scary. I think it was about 2011 when our summers became tropical. I guess if I became a Republican, then I would have nothing to worry about.
Can someone please post a recent picture of Maplewood? I haven't visited in a few months. Thanks.

 No, I was referring to little green men. grin



I like driving that stretch of E. Hobart Gap Road between South Orange Ave and South Livingston Ave that goes through the East Orange water property. This time of year it looks like the woods is actively trying to over take the asphalt. And if we humans were gone suddenly from the landscape, the forest would erase our presence. 


The humidity is killing me.  If I wanted to live in a tropical hell hole, I would move to Florida.


I suddenly have moss growing on my railroad tie steps outside.  I slipped on it today.  Fist time I've seen that in 20 years. 


We went away to Martha's Vineyard for 3 weeks. It's been pretty dry there, looking sometimes like rain in the morning, then becoming sunny and dry. When we returned home to NJ, our front yard raspberry bush was literally climbing onto our front porch!


How about vegetable gardens? Anyone have one? They must be doing great too. Or has it been too-too wet?



drummerboy said:
How about vegetable gardens? Anyone have one? They must be doing great too. Or has it been too-too wet?



 All of my tomatoes are splitting.  The basil is great though.


+1 on the thread title, DB.  grin 


My yard has a bumper crop of assorted mushrooms....New varieties never before seen.


drummerboy said:
How about vegetable gardens? Anyone have one? They must be doing great too. Or has it been too-too wet?



 Tomatoes, green beans (haricot verts to be specific - on the third planting/crop of those) cucumbers, melons - all best crops ever. (also basil, oregano, thyme, various herbs)  Spouse says best crops in 20 years.  Just beginning to suffer from too much rain


I’m in north central Massachusetts and it is so lush and green. Been raining heavily off and on for the last two days but apparently, it’s been this way for weeks. 


The number and variety of mushrooms in the reservation has been amazing.


jimmurphy said:
+1 on the thread title, DB.  grin 

 thx!


Our peaches failed this year. We've had three or four years of good yields from spindly baby trees. Now one didn't bear any fruit, and the other has hard, small fruit. But yes, lots of fungi.

I grow compost on our land, if you can call it that.


You need good frosts to set fruit from the buds, I believe, Tom. If we didn’t get frosts in Howlong winters, our stone fruit weren’t worth doing much with. The local piggery and green waste recyclers did well, though cheese 


joanne said:
Nan, you OK??

 I'm fine!  More careful though!  Thinking of doing a powerwash.


oh Tom, I just remembered re the stonefruit: another thing to watch for in humid weather is worms passed via birds. The flies hitch a ride with birds or just follow them to the best trees, then lay eggs when buds are opening (Angelak could correct me), and then they hatch into the set fruit and munch their way out. It’s worse when the weather is hot and humid for some reason; all our old farmers and orchardists used to complain. 


Thanks, @joanne!

People are complaining about the weather we're having, but I don't believe it's gone much above 91°F this summer. It's been well over 100° in many parts of the country.


Tom_Reingold said:
Thanks, @joanne!
People are complaining about the weather we're having, but I don't believe it's gone much above 91°F this summer. It's been well over 100° in many parts of the country.

Yeah, it just seems like the rain and humidity was a lot more than usual the past month or so. But yes, heat-wise, we haven't had it as bad as others.

I'm still generating hella electrical bills though. I'm a wuss when it comes to the A/C. Has to be low 70's, all the time.



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