Sunday, March 18, 2012

March Madness!


March Madness usually refers to the basketball tournament frenzy. In fact, the state high school basketball championships nearly always bring about a snowstorm around here, but not this year. And I'm not complaining one little bit. We're easily a month ahead of schedule, and I'm thrilled with this early spring we're having, to the point of being giddy.

I heard someone say that we here in Zone 5 just experienced a Zone 7 winter. There were only two snowstorms to speak of, and even those were barely enough to warrant calling off school for a day.  Last year the conservatory went through two tanks of propane and even though we kept it 5-10 degrees cooler this winter, we used just half of that.

This week, I worked three straight days in the garden and experienced the familiar soreness of using muscles that, like the plants, had been pretty much dormant all winter. While I was down on my knees, cleaning and pruning the dead away on most things, I was astounded at all the new growth I saw.

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Even late emergers like the butterfly bush (Buddleia ), which some years doesn't emerge at all, is leafed out.  The ninebark (Physocarpus), another late one, is unfurling its foliage, too. The Virginia bluebells are not only up, they're budded and showing color. I suppose the hardy hibiscus will be next.

I can't hardly keep up with all the new blooms.  Even as I put this video slide show together, another new one appeared. March is bustin' out all over!

 



2 comments:

Erin @ The Impatient Gardener said...

I'm just LOVING this weather. I actually feel a little guilty saying that because I know it probably signals that something really bad is going on, and something horrible could happen to our gardens by mid-summer, but the idea that I could have my whole garden cleaned up by mid-April (my weekends are full of other activities I had planned to help pass the time before I could garden) pleases me to no end. Last year I planted my containers the second week of June because we had such a horrible spring. If I could have things planted and more or less set in May I will be able to spend June with a drink in my hand enjoying the garden!

Kylee Baumle said...

Hey, Erin! I know, right? This is just insane! We broke our record high for today by SEVEN degrees!! And it's the fifth day in a row that we've broken the record and we're going to break it at least tomorrow and maybe a couple more days beyond that. In many years past, we've been shoveling SNOW in the middle of March and later!

I'm not worried about what's to come though. Weather is so unpredictable, obviously, so I'm not borrowing trouble. I'm just going to enjoy it! :-)

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