Is this winter the mildest ever? (Denver: yard, trees, area)

[sportsfangal]

Is LBear lurking in the shadows watching this thread?????

[Scott5280]

Originally Posted by sportsfangal

Is LBear lurking in the shadows watching this thread?????

GEE, I wonder? I'm officially done with his baiting

[sportsfangal]

I know, right??

Originally Posted by Scott5280

GEE, I wonder? I'm officially done with his baiting

[MobyLL]

Originally Posted by ExtremeDenver

THANK YOU! As I mentioned before, Denver winters would destroy most of the vegetation that DC has. Good luck with planting a tropical plant in Denver that is not indoors or completely covered in a bubble during winter.

DC is Zone8 while Denver is Zone5. That is the USDA official zones. Any attempt to update those zones using data from only the last 10-20 years is an attempt to ride the GLOBAL WARMING BUS. Al Gore loves manipulating data that he picks and chooses to make it appear the planet is in dire straits and warming uncontrollably.

Yeah, you guys are right -- it is LBear... my bad. Here is what the LBear version would look like:

Originally Posted by LBear

THANK YOU! As I mentioned before, Denver winters would destroy most of the vegetation that DC has. Good luck with planting a tropical plant in Denver that is not indoors or completely covered in a bubble during winter.

DC is Zone8 while Denver is Zone5. That is the USDA official zones. Any attempt to update those zones using data from only the last 10-20 years is an attempt to ride the GLOBAL WARMING BUS. Al Gore loves manipulating data that he picks and chooses to make it appear the planet is in dire straits and warming uncontrollably.

Here is the real test though...

ExtremeDenver -- Is the earth flat and the sun goes around and around? Or does the earth revolve around the sun or something crazy like all those freak scientists say?

We all know where LBear would stand on that one.

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by popalnet

I guess these palm trees in the DC area don't think it's that cold.

Sterling, VA:


Alexandria, VA:


Alexandria, VA:


Washington, DC:


Washington DC:




These palms unprotected would never survive a Colorado winter.

But I do agree that a humid 40 degree day in DC feels colder than a dry 40 degree Denver day. Thanks to humidity.

Again, I never denied that DC winters were warmer on average temperature-wise. However I emphasized that Denver winters were more comfortable overall than DC winters when you factor in Denver's sunshine and dry air.

Nice pics BTW.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by popalnet

I guess these palm trees in the DC area don't think it's that cold.




These palms unprotected would never survive a Colorado winter.

But I do agree that a humid 40 degree day in DC feels colder than a dry 40 degree Denver day. Thanks to humidity.

You know those are Windmill Palms, and are cold hardy down to at least 10 degrees, right? Not exaclty an indicator of a balmy, tropical climate. And FWIW, I have musa basjoo banana trees growing in my Denver yard - they're cold hardy down to -20, so you chop them down in the Fall and they come back the next Spring. That's probably what you're seeing in these pictures.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by ExtremeDenver

THANK YOU! As I mentioned before, Denver winters would destroy most of the vegetation that DC has. Good luck with planting a tropical plant in Denver that is not indoors or completely covered in a bubble during winter.

DC is Zone8 while Denver is Zone5. That is the USDA official zones. Any attempt to update those zones using data from only the last 10-20 years is an attempt to ride the GLOBAL WARMING BUS. Al Gore loves manipulating data that he picks and chooses to make it appear the planet is in dire straits and warming uncontrollably.

LBear, LBear, LBear... there you go again! Yes, surely a Denver winter would destroy all the grass, weeds, Maple Trees, Elm Trees, Locust Trees.... wait - we have those growing in Denver now? What the heck LBear? Why haven't they been destroyed? Those same types of vegetation grow in DC?

Nice try at creating a new persona, but you just can't avoid the crazy talk that identifies you as the real you

[popalnet]

Originally Posted by south-to-west

Again, I never denied that DC winters were warmer on average temperature-wise. However I emphasized that Denver winters were more comfortable overall than DC winters when you factor in Denver's sunshine and dry air.

Nice pics BTW.

I agree. The dry air defintely makes the cold a lot more tolerable.

[popalnet]

Originally Posted by denverian

You know those are Windmill Palms, and are cold hardy down to at least 10 degrees, right? Not exaclty an indicator of a balmy, tropical climate. And FWIW, I have musa basjoo banana trees growing in my Denver yard - they're cold hardy down to -20, so you chop them down in the Fall and they come back the next Spring. That's probably what you're seeing in these pictures.

You're right. The palms pictured are windmill palms, needle palm, and basjoo banana trees. There are a few others, but I have no clue what species they're from.

You can grow basjoo in Denver as well, but I don't think they will grow as tall as they can in DC since the growing season is shorter in Denver.

The Windmill Palm can be easily grown in DC since it rarely goes lower than 10 degrees. Even though not native, more and more people are growing windmill palms in their yard. But I understand what you're saying - 10, 30, or even 50 degrees in not considered balmy.

I didn't mean to make it sound that DC winter weather was tropical. I don't think that at all. This year, DC had one of the coldest winters that I can remember. Afterall, I was the one who started this thread with the comment about how I think Denver winters are milder than DC.

[just Chickie]

Hi. I am somewhat lost on this site, but trying to post about questions I have regarding a possible move to Sterling. If someone can help me get where I need to be, please help. Otherwise, if anyone has thoughts or information please post it.

My husband and I are a couple of years from 40 with a 16 year old son and 13 year old daughter. My husband has worked as a laborer moving buildings and as a laborer building a coal burning power plant. Obviously we worry there won't be work for him.

We are conservative, but not religious, with strong family values. We enjoy going to the movies, being outside and basically being laid back at home.

Our kids are both into sports. Our son plays basketball/baseball and our daughter plays volleyball and is a cheerleader (she takes this very seriously )

We are originally from WA state, but have lived in the shadow of Phoenix for 8 years now. We want OUT! My daughter was offered to buy heroin and prescription drugs at school. Last year my son had a classmate (8th grade) arrested for pushing meth on the younger kids. Ahh!

My son visited a friend in Sterling last summer who made this move we are considering. He really enjoyed himself and liked the small town feel and what he considered friendly people. I don't mind small town at all, (we both grew up in a small town) but do worry there may not be anything to do. When kids get bored~ trouble brews. I have been reading anything I can find on Sterling and the surrounding area, but there's nothing like getting a locals opinion of what is really going on. I don't mind giving up amenities, but don't want to give that up if I'm only trading one set of problems in for another.

Here are a few of my questions:
What type of work is there or within a 30 minutes drive?
Is there a drug/alcohol/prescription drug problem with teens?
Are there things to do socially that aren't centered around drinking and taverns/bars/clubs?
Are there decent homes for rent and if so, where can I find them? (having very little luck)
Is this community very welcoming to newcomers?
Can someone please list actual names of stores/restaurants so we might recognize something we have heard of?


I appreciate any input anyone might have. If I am in the wrong place..PLEASE give me specific instructions on how to post where this belongs. Thank you!