Truth of adage from 'Slate' & Testing new add-on tool Yoono
I just added this unknown orchid for some oomph because this article looks so plain otherwise. The orchid is the first of a spray of flowers with 25 or more blooms. The flower is about the size of large peach pith.
Adages often contain a grain of truth but are some of them just factoids?
From Wikipedia 'An adage (pronounced /ˈædɪdʒ/), or adagium (Latin), is a short but memorable saying that holds some important fact of experience that is considered true by many people, or that has gained some credibility through its long use. It often involves a planning failure such as "don't count your chickens before they hatch" or "don't burn bridges behind you." '
From Wikipedia...factoids...'Oxford English Dictionary[1] as "something which becomes accepted as fact, although it may not be true", namely a speculation or an assumption.'
I was browsing through Slate Magazine and came across this article: Do April Showers Bring May Flowers? Well it depends upon the flower and many other factors.
"But do April showers really bring May flowers?
No more so than showers in May or September. Exactly which rainy period has the biggest effect on growth depends on whether you're looking at perennials or annuals."
"Regardless of when the perennials bloom, the rainfall of the previous month isn't that relevant."
"Whatever effect April's showers do have on May flowers tends to be negative. Too much rain while the plants are blossoming makes them more susceptible to diseases like Botrytis blight, which causes buds to shrivel before they open."
"For annuals, which are the flowers that must be replanted every year, lifespan and growth are influenced by the rainfall in the months immediately after they're planted, not the month before."
"The one place where April showers would truly bring May flowers is the desert."
So it appears the truthfulness of an adage depends of many variables...at least for this one.
These are excerpts from the article. Go to the Slate link to read the full story.
I tried to clip, save and copy the Slate webpage using Yoono the add on tool for FireFox and Internet Explorer. I watched the Yoono YouTube tutorial on how to use the Buzzit clip and save tool to save and post articles from the Web to your blog. I tried to use it to post this article and even if I got a message that said I successfully posted the Buzzit to my blog but it didn't show up. A great disappointment and many minutes of lost time downloading and reading the how to. I guess I'll give it another shot since I've already invested so much time in learning about it.
posted by Ki at
5:22 AM
5 Comments:
Very interesting, Ki ... I was hoping the adage, 'April showers bring May flowers', was true 'cause it's pouring here today! Good luck posting. My computer skills are weak. I admire your tenacity ...
I was hoping the adage, 'April showers bring May flowers', was true
Actually in most cases, on the east coast anyway, it is true. The perennials, trees, and most shrubs are only now starting their sap rise, so the rains now will stimulate the roots, get the sap running, so to speak. It also gives the plants strength to set the tone for the summer with the amount of bloom.
Early blooming trees and shrubs need the rain now to give a brilliant spring show. Once the flowers come, however, a little less rain will help the plants to show off a little longer.
Some of these statements I did agree with, but others not. It all depends on your garden and how you tend it and what you keep in it.
A lot of rain isn't good for plants already blooming, but for plants getting ready to bloom, it is a good thing.
The best way to see if April showers are good for your garden is to see how it grows. Personally, I like the deep soaking misty rains of early April. It sets the mood for my garden and help with the early new dormant plantings I put in the last part of March.
Hi Joey,
It rained here too last night and this morning although it wasn't a gully washer. I love rain so I hope it will keep it up all year. Snow I can do without. You are too diplomatic. I think stubborn or pigheaded is more like it. :)
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Hi Julie,
You make very good points. I would rather have rain than drought - I've spent too many hours watering with a hose so let it rain. The evergreens certainly loved the wet winter. Even with all the rain we've had, when I dig into the ground more than 6" the clay is still rather dry. I guess it remains impermeable so it takes many successive soakings for it to take up water. ;(
Huh. Well, then, there's really no plus for the week's worth of rain that we have scheduled next week. (When I need to get out into the garden and clean it up!)
Boo hoo Kim. :) Rain is better than drought so I welcome every drop we get...though I wouldn't be very happy if the basement sump pumps stopped working. I hate cleaning the garden and worse if I accidentally break off a newly emerging shoot by stepping on them or with the rake. The worse part is to remember what plant you managed to destroy by such clumsiness or inattention. Was that the hepatica? Ohh, rats.
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