Monday, March 24, 2014

Is It Spring Yet?

The calendar says that spring arrived last week, but the weather says otherwise.  Winter here was unseasonably cold and snowy.  It takes a close look to find any sign of spring in the garden.  

We can usually count on forsythia being in full bloom by now ... an unmistakable sign that it's time to put winter behind us and begin the spring pruning and clean up in the rose garden.  No forsythia flowers in sight yet.  The buds are there, but they barely show any color.





The roses are generally beginning to put on noticeable growth by now, as they prepare for their late May spring show.  This year, leaf buds are just barely beginning to break on some roses ... they are still tightly closed on others.

'Dr. E. M. Mills' rooted cutting from last year in a pot.


Rosa acicularis, brought home from our trip to Alaska two years ago.  I knew it would be okay in the cold.


Hellebores don't mind winter, no matter how cold and snowy it was.  They appear to be immune to whatever winter dishes out.  They bloom and spread and are a wonderful early season feature in the shady parts of my garden.



This little group of crocus is in the same bed as the Hellebores, but I didn't plant them.  I'm thinking that they were probably brought here and buried by squirrels, who stole them from one of our neighbors.



Finally, we have this single dandelion flower in the grass beside my greenhouse.  Weeds will always find a way.



As far as I can tell, the garden may be as much as a full two weeks behind where I expect it to be.  I am not at all disappointed by this ... it feels as if I have been given a bit of extra time to do what I can to put the roses and the rest of the garden into better shape this year.

According to the weather folks, winter isn't finished with us yet.  It's supposed to snow again tomorrow.

10 comments:

  1. I need to be be more strong and adaptable, like that dandelion! This winter has taken a toll on me and we didn't even have any snow. Pretty sure the summer will beat the snot out of me, too. See, I'm just not very adaptable anymore.

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  2. Ohhhhh! Just seeing those tiny buds gives me hope, Connie! lol We are a long way from seeing any of those yet, but we're having more sunny days - even though it's still in the 20s and 30s. Supposed to be 55 on Sunday, though! I do believe that Old Man Winter is finally giving up his grip!! Yay!!! :)

    xoxo laurie

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  3. You lucky girl- you have SOME signs of Spring there. Do you know we still have a heavy snow base here...and more snow coming tonight they say...UGH--- xo Diana

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  4. Here in Chattanooga, TN we're about 2 weeks behind as well. We've got a little bit of a cold snap right now (but no snow), and I'm wondering if we'll have one more before our frost date, April 15th.

    You're right though, I'm taking advantage of the extra time to get some extra prep work done. I think it's going to be a beautiful spring, whenever it gets here!

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  5. Sharing your attitude on that gift of extra time to better prepare for an excellent Spring this year, Connie. I was reading of your day of rose tending at the cemetery and looking at all the pictures of snow and wondering how you were going to manage this year. Learning you had one glorious work day brought a sigh of relief. Life is good!

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  6. I'm being mindful to enjoy all the different phases of Spring -- and not to rush it too much. A few tulips making an appearance through the cold dirt -- but that's about it around here.

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  7. Connie, I might need to come down for a rose rooting boot camp. Last year I tried 15, and only had one root!
    Your garden is about three weeks ahead of mine. The only signs of life are little tiny flashes of red peony stalks and an evil weed I battle every year that I always mistake for Asiatic lilies. Not this year!

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  8. I think those might be my crocus. I planted about 600 and the squirrels took them all. They were kind enough to replant three of them but the other 597, it's anyone's guess. I understand the yellow ones are much less palatable than the purples ones.

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  9. Maybe the longest winter I've seen since moving here in 1990. I'm hoping the roses in my side yard don't have that crazy disease that caused me to rip out the backyard ones. Urban Cottage's comment had me laughing!

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  10. You may be a little behind but you'll catch up soon enough and will be enjoying your spring flowers after others have already bloomed. - I agree "weeds" always seem to find a way.

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