As I sit here typing this, it's 85F/29.4C on the first official day of spring. There's been an unprecedented string of days with highs in the 80s. As my mother-in-law said to me last weekend, "I feel cheated. I like it in the 50s and 60s." Amen, sister. I quite dislike the feeling of sweat on the back of my knees as I perform spring garden cleanup. Discomfort aside, this is a gardening nightmare in the making. Plants spring forth from the earth, bud up, come into bloom and then fade within a couple of days. Usually, unseasonable early warmth catches out only the non-native plants, but as can be seen from the above and following photos, even native plants are confused.
Things seem to be running a month ahead. This will be the first time the Magnolia will not be in bloom for my and bicycle man's wedding anniversary in the middle of April.
Nearly everything is either sprouting, leafing out, or blooming, leaving who knows what to bloom in April. But what will happen when the other shoe drops? How many plants will be killed by an April frost? I'm very worried, but I've got bags of shredded leaves and shrub jackets standing by.