Weather Where You Are

[digitS']

What are your signs of Spring?

The honeybee that I saw a couple of weeks ago, has not been back. He seemed unusually large so, perhaps he was a drone. The day that @flowerbug noted a bumblebee, I did, too! And, I saw my second yellow jacket, trapped by his own confusion in the greenhouse - perhaps he is the same one that was there earlier. A fly was circling on the deck before about 36 hours of wind and sprinkles. This evening, he's back. Oh, I saw my 3rd cabbage butterfly today - yes, you rascal - I'm about ready to set out the broccoli and cabbage plants!!

I know that they are considered invasive in some parts of North America but the wood hyacinths have been my indication of the coming of warm weather. We have had two 70°f days recently since I noticed there small flowers beginning to open. The flowers of the Oregon Grape began to open about 2 weeks ago, that's my prompt to begin planting pea seeds, a second planting may go in tomorrow. Full, leafing-out of Black Locust seems to be a good indication that freezing weather has passed. Only once have we had a hard frost since I began thinking this way - however ...

I know that these phenological phenomena indicate past weather, not necessarily prophetic of the phuture.

Stephe

 

[flowerbug]

What are your signs of Spring?

The honeybee that I saw a couple of weeks ago, has not been back. He seemed unusually large so, perhaps he was a drone. The day that @flowerbug noted a bumblebee, I did, too! And, I saw my second yellow jacket, trapped by his own confusion in the greenhouse - perhaps he is the same one that was there earlier. A fly was circling on the deck before about 36 hours of wind and sprinkles. This evening, he's back. Oh, I saw my 3rd cabbage butterfly today - yes, you rascal - I'm about ready to set out the broccoli and cabbage plants!!

I know that they are considered invasive in some parts of North America but the wood hyacinths have been my indication of the coming of warm weather. We have had two 70°f days recently since I noticed there small flowers beginning to open. The flowers of the Oregon Grape began to open about 2 weeks ago, that's my prompt to begin planting pea seeds, a second planting may go in tomorrow. Full, leafing-out of Black Locust seems to be a good indication that freezing weather has passed. Only once have we had a hard frost since I began thinking this way - however ...

I know that these phenological phenomena indicate past weather, not necessarily prophetic of the phuture.

Stephe

signs of early spring are the first blooms which can be either the crocuses or the earliest irises. the Spring Whiltlow flowers are very early too, but not out before the previous mentions. signs of middle spring are the earliest tulips which will bloom several weeks to a month before the later ones along with these will be the earliest daffodils and hyacinths. right now we are in the middle of tulip blooms, some trees are starting to bloom and the maples and oaks are budding out with leaves. the honeysuckle bushes have new leaves and will bloom shortly along, the lilac tree will come along in a week or two. the wild strawberries started a week ago. usually that means that the non-native strawberries in the more protected and warmer spots will bloom, well, starting yesterday as i noticed when i was weeding. the main strawberry patch i hope doesn't bloom for another week or two until after these frosts in the forecast have passed. the year the strawberries bloomed on Mar 11 was certainly abnormal and that also was the year that most of the state lost their tree fruit crops to frosts that came along later. i hope this year it much better for them. looks ok so far.

today will be first mowing day. we got the lawn mower oil changed and gassed up last night and it started so it is ready to go.

 

[ducks4you]

@digitS', imho "invasive" is over used.
I consider bindweed and Lily of the Valley very invasive, horseradish, imho, is extremely invasive, which is why people recommend Only planting it in pots. Every year I chop down parts of a volunteer honeysuckle, another "invasive." I like it where it is, but it gets too big, and chopping down part of all of it won't kill it.
DD's and I are at a loss of what to fill in between the north of their garage and the back yard cement sidewalks. Weeds continue to want to fill in.
2020 solution is to move everything that I have that is "invasive" from my yard to this spot in Their yard.
So, far, the plan is for today to rake up sticks, Then mow, then till the area. I can spend the next week digging up LOTV, ferns, chocolate mint and divided hostas to this spot, which we will monitor, water when necessary, as it is a dry and shady spot, and hand weed as it goes along.
I Was going to drive over this morning, but we have had another deluge of rain since last night. I can tell bc my horse's turnout is all puddled, and they get to spend the day in their stalls. I will be over there by 2PM with my tiller and we will work for a few hours prepping the spot. It has a lot of leaves in it and the soil is good.
If we are worried about the LOTV spreading, we can move some bricks along the neighbor's 6 ft wooden fence to keep it in check.
I moved LOTV along the north edge of a bed NW of the sidewalk to the garage. It has spread nicely, very Few weeds have moved in with it.
With the way that I garden, I might plant cool weather vegetables in those spots and give them shade for the summer. If they live, EVEN if they go to seed, it will be an alternative to the normal weeds and the pasture weeds that I get from my hay.

Weed Science at the University of Illinois

 

[seedcorn]

33 degrees? I’d take that over 28 we are to get. Will be straw covering and tarp over that Friday.

 

[ducks4you]

Total BRRRRRR!!!!! Wet and damp and COLD!!!

 

[Prairie Rose]

Rain and cold here, too! I can't wait for some warm, dry weather...my poor dog needs a bath!

 

[flowerbug]

we have below freezing forecast for 4 of the next 5 nights. one down to 28. don't think the peas are up yet, but i will give them some water this afternoon as there hasn't been any rain this week.

 

[ducks4you]

@flowerbug , I will send you some of MY rain.

 

[digitS']

@digitS', imho "invasive" is over used.
I consider bindweed and Lily of the Valley very invasive

From my reading, wood hyacinth has escaped into forests in some parts of North America. Mine have been in their very tiny location for the nearly 25 years that I have been here and never gone anywhere.

Also from local reading - bindweed was planted by early orchardists between their fruit trees to encourage honey bee populations. Gee, thanks a LOT. (I suppose that it would be here by now, anyway.)

I was once saying on TEG that I appreciate my chives. They do spread some but are massed together in the shadiest location in my garden and are useful.

Another gardener seemed to have real reservations about chives. She finally admitted that they had escaped into the grass and were everywhere in her lawn. Oh. Different soils, climates and plant communities ...

Supposed to have started raining before sunrise. I'm still waiting ...

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

Didn't know chives would do that. Better than MY wild onions, which are tough and INedible.