Spring is Near!

Linda Bittle
Linda Bittle Posts: 1,516 ✭✭✭✭✭

Location - western Idaho (Adams County)

I took my little dog for a walk just now. There's still lots of snow pushed up along the streets and on the trail, but the streets and most sidewalks are cleared. The thermometer by the high school said it was 46 degrees with blue skies and sunshine!

We are supposed to get more snow tomorrow. That's OK. I heard a frog at the corner of the house this week, and have heard and seen a few random Canada geese flying overhead.

Just now I see the tiniest little leaf buds on the rose bushes and the lilacs! I looked, but none of the tulips I planted in the fall are coming up yet, but it will not be long. Yay for spring!

What are you noticing this week - and where are you located?

Comments

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,482 admin

    I'm already eating poke salat!

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020

    Unusually warm past two weeks, today as a Valentine present I Noticed 4+ crocus in the Lavender end of our Rainbow...

    WA 8A

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,516 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow Lovely, and so nice to have them today!

  • kbmbillups1
    kbmbillups1 Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Some of my daffodils have bloomed! Then we had rare snow in Georgia last week. Thankfully they popped right back up! Can't wait for the rest of them to bloom.


  • kbmbillups1
    kbmbillups1 Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020

    Opps. How do you delete a comment you posted by accident?

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    All my narcissis are blooming as well as the iberis. 😊

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,561 admin

    @kbmbillups1 I flag it and explain that it is an accidental post.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,561 admin

    Wow, everyone! I just got an email that the Iditarod is in 21 days. That is generally when we can start watching for the beginning of maple syrup season here.

    We still have lots of snow and have fluctuating temps from -30°C (-42° with windchill just a couple nights ago) to almost melting. We could still very well get a lot more snow. No frogs, flowers or geese yet. No ticks or mosquitoes either. Haha

    Zone 3, Manitoba, Canada

  • Gail H
    Gail H Posts: 359 ✭✭✭✭

    I found some tiny wood sorrel growing when I was out looking for greens. Seeing as it was Valentine's Day, I picked the little heart leaves.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,561 admin

    This was our Sunday afternoon! Lots of wind and ever increasing snowfall. No frogs, no flowers.

    We have at least 2 or 3 fake "springs" to go before we get the real one. People are so forgetful. I hear joyous announcements during each of these fake "spring"times each year..."It's here!" 😆 To give you an idea, you might be able to plant peas & beans in early May. It is still only mid-Feb.

    Nobody here has mentioned yet that it is spring. I will give it a couple weeks, although some snow could melt this weekend. It might be spring #1.

    I saw an ad for somebody already selling "spring" chicks. 🙄 Uh...with -30°C still happening, I am not going to incubate anything yet! I am not buying chicks either.

  • spowell07
    spowell07 Posts: 37 ✭✭✭

    56 here in WV today. Sunny skies warm breezes and tge smell of freshness in the air. Noticed the last 3 days tulips, flags, daffodils new little sprigs of life popping up here and there all over the homestead. Makes it hard to believe it was 9 degrees with the windchill just 4 days ago.

  • Gail H
    Gail H Posts: 359 ✭✭✭✭

    I heard a red winged blackbird yesterday. We may yet get pounded with snow, but spring is definitely on the horizon in South Jersey.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,561 admin

    Well now...I think our first "fake spring" is about to come. But first we will dip down to -30°C tonight with windchill down to -39. Tomorrow, our high is just below the melting point at -5 with highs going above 0°C at some point in the weekend. Next week it is supposed to cool off again.

    These huge fluctuations are harder on the birds than just sitting at -30°/-40°. I guess we aren't a whole lot different as one's body gets used to a stable temp after a time too.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,665 admin

    @Laurie I sure hope spring is on is way for you! We have warmed up considerably. Days all on the +(C) side of life with night time temps only going to about -13 (C) at night. We don't have the windchill here that you are experiencing. My sympathies. It seems like it has been a long winter. I am travelling to the coast (Vancouver) in 3 weeks so I am hoping to see spring bulbs! One of the few things that makes a trip to the city worthwhile.

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    I have snow drops and winter aconite blooming- usually that's not until march, but this has been a mild winter.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @Mary Linda Bittle I taught a workshop last weekend about making Fire Cider. And in it, we used Pine Needles (fresh), Wild Garlic (fresh), White Yarrow (fresh), Purple Deadnettle (fresh) that I had foraged that morning along with Nootka Rose Garlic that I grew last year and some items that I had purchased the day before.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    (tho in our 8A-zone this week's nights got back down to 26 degrees), What a difference a single week makes: Today I see 22 more of the lovely Lavender crocus dancing in the sun at the end of our rainbow, plus in blue-section about 10 tiny urn-shaped Grape hyacinths, & others as well that shortly will post in continuing 🙂 Rainbows

  • lmrebert
    lmrebert Posts: 363 ✭✭✭✭

    Here in SoCal we don't really get to experience any weather changes which is bad.. and good. It's 75 F today, and sunny.. this morning I thought we would get rain, maybe we did but I work in radiology.. basically a dungeon so I don't really have a clue what goes on during the day but I have to say, my fever few is booming, my calendula is VERY GENEROUS with blooms and I'm thinking its time to plant some seed for another attempt at loofa. We get what is known as "Santa Ana" winds in summer and they literally destroyed my beautiful vines. Trying to convince my husband to let me use a more protected area of the yard. I have to say though, I'm very excited about more loofas because the little I was able to manage to get work fantastically for washing dishes! Anyone else try to grow them?

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    Several of the bulbs we planted last fall are showing their little green heads. Some are already about 2" tall and others are just barely showing through the mulch. One apple tree has a leaf trying to unfurl on it's western-most branch. The spring frogs were vocal today. My forsythia has big buds that look as if they will pop in a couple days. Today's high temp was 59 F and there's nothing below freezing forecast for the next 7 days. Still, I know that we aren't free and clear of a freeze. Our average last frost date is May 9th here in zone 6a.

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,516 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The 40 tulip bulbs I planted last fall are starting to peak out of the maple leaves that covered them all winter! I do so hope that they bloom before I have to leave this place. It's the 4th yard I've put a lot of work into, and then left for someone else to enjoy. But that's what we do, isn't it? Leave things better than we found them.

    How many of the 40 do you think will come up? The squirrels make gardening harder than it needs to be sometimes.


  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    @Mary Linda Bittle I too so hope you get to see the beauties. Mine, planted last fall too, are up about 3 inches but not blooming yet. The miniature daffodils are blooming though.