The snow and ice have melted to reveal a corner of the garden. Some of the rose canes are starting to bud. I guess this is the time of year where "spring frost" protection is needed. The snow started falling before I finished my winter protection then didn't melt for months. That is unusual for here. We usually get a few above freezing days in between storms to melt and refreeze. Not sure how the roses will like this weather, but I suspect the consistent freeze would be less stressful than the freeze-thaw cycles. Now, I will have to decide whether or not I need to add extra spring freeze protection. The newly planted roses and more tender roses are already well protected because I covered them first.

Wildeve has green canes all the way to the tips. The bush only protected at the base. Anyone in a colder climate looking for a hardy Austin pink rose may want to consider Wildeve. I am surprised more people don't grow this rose.

Yay! We've got a cold snap right now, but I know that spring's definitely on it's way. The willows are starting to redden up (they turn an orangish color before going green) and my silver maple is "berrying" out right now (it sends out these berry-like things, no idea what they are). Lots of my roses are pretty green, but I don't want anyone to be budding out yet, not for another month or so, not until the weather decides if it wants to be winter or summer!

I was surprised that they were budding so early. We had a few above freezing days, but nighttime temps soon fell back into the teens. I'll see what spring brings. I just hope that everyone survived the winter.

I also have some soggy heuchera and a few spring perennials starting. Also, a couple of green things that are either perennials or weeds. They are too small to tell, yet. I was pleasantly surprised that a perennial poppy had leaves already. I hope it blooms this year. Almost everything else is still covered with snow. I'll have to wait for a few more above freezing days before I see the status of all of my plants. The forecast for tomorrow is upper 30s and sunny. After that, we are getting rain and or wintery mix with temperatures above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. Yuck. Mud and ice.

We've had a number of beautiful 65 F days. Today a blizzard is moving in, with 45 mph winds. Supposed to get more than a foot of snow over the next two days. Then more sunny 65 F days. I hope the snow melts quickly. Despite asking for it in mid-March Edmunds sent me a great box full of roses. The roses look great, but the ground is frozen where they are to be planted.

I think Prescott got moved into zone 8 recently. But someone forgot to tell the weather. In terms of planting times, it's still zone 6a.

Since roses are supposed to stay cool and moist, I shoveled a bit of of last night's foot of snow into the box. Hope that helps.

Accuweather says that "Today is a poor day for mowing the lawn." How did they know I don't have a lawn, I wonder?

Lawn? Wuzzat? I don't have a lawn. I have roses. Grass is too expensive (the WATERING!!). And you got a foot of snow? Wanna send it my way? We're about 20" below normal for snow... I'm gonna have to water this week...

I don't have a lawn either. Space for roses, lavender, iris, <strike> weeds </strike> and a few water thrifty plants.

No watering needed here this winter. The foot of snow from Saturday is melting and the stream at the edge of the property is gurgling. I'm scraping back snow, digging holes, and planting roses in the mud.

Except that the soil is completely waterlogged (and covered with snow) it's a great day to plant roses! 55F, sunny.

I plan all winter, make drawings, then when the roses arrive, I plant them according to a completely different plan. I thought Leanne Rimes might look good with Firefighter and/or Grand Dame. So I did that. This group lives near Rainbow Sorbet.

I was hoping to grow some rose hips, so I got four of Hansa which I'm planting next to - well actually sort of in the middle of - a stream bed. I'm hoping that its aggressive root system will work well in the sandy soil at that location. And that given some light PM shade it won't toast to death in the summer.

Elina I have planted near two "Rise and Shine" Miniatures. I had other plans, but the bed I was planning to plant it in is essentially under water right now. Not good for planting.

Sunsprite and Olympiad remain to be planted. I'm hoping I can get Olympiad to make sense in my planting plan this time around. Last time I planted one by itself near a driveway. It grew beautifully, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. That was more than decade ago. I hope I'm a little smarter now. In any case Olympiad struck me as being a real workhorse. I'm hoping for the same is true of Sunsprite.

Love the performance of Sunsprite here!

We have some daylilies underwater at the moment, but thank goodness no roses are swimming....................yet. Hopefully they are all planted outside of the danger zones.

no signs yet (booo) just snow !! but it won't be long !!!!

I saw our first robin this evening! Spring is right around the corner now.
I also saw a flock of Sand Cranes headed your way, Gloria.

I am so ready for spring this year It seems like its been an extra long winter !!!

Winters in the north can be tiresome, I'm delighted that you are all seeing signs of spring. Thanks for the encouragement about Sunsprite.

Yesterday the temperature was in the mid sixties and I found myself out in the garden relocating the edge of a bed to make more room for roses and other plants. The weather was so perfect, it was almost difficult to come inside to set seeds in flats.

Birds have returned and I hear birdsong as I work outside. I have to be careful about leaving the garage door open because sparrows like to nest there at this time of year. Last year I spent ten minutes chasing two of them out with a long extension pole for window washing. I was beginning to tire of the game when I turned to the last sparrow and said "Please, just get out." And it left.

I've been watering all month as we normally have the equivalency of over 20" of moisture by this time of year and we've had 1.59". Yes, less than 2 inches of moisture, well well WELL below what we should have. I am envious of everyone who's been flooded.. what the Rockys would do for that kind of moisture right now!

On Tuesday, I had to kill a little bit of time and I wanted to buy some new sprinkler heads for my hose so I went to Lowes. And they had plants already! Yay! Not many, too early. But I did pick up a couple of Charles Joly lilacs (http://davesgarden.com/guides/...) that were $6/ea. They were in the 2 quart containers, but that's OK. And, since the weather was SOOOOOO glorious yesterday (upper 60s?), I put them in the ground, started to check out my roses in the front, and watered watered watered! Looks like I only lost (maybe) 3 roses in the front.. and those were so weak when I got them (they were shipped in the middle of summer.. paid for 3 day shipping, got them almost 2 weeks later! and they were so dried out.. got a refund) that I doubted that they were going to survive. So I have no Pink Flamingos now. That's OK.. that's 3 holes that I can put some roses in when I start getting them next month!! Yay! Plus, on 1 of my roses that I got in (Harlequin) I already have new leaves on it (!!!) and there's leaf buds all OVER the place on a LOT of my roses! Yay!!!!!! Still have not seen any buzzards yet, but I have plenty of house finches singing up a storm (they over-winter in my neighborhood, along with robins), so I know it can't be THAT long now!

Steve812 said: relocating the edge of a bed to make more room for roses and other plants.

Oh boy, yes! I've done this so often that in some spots the grass pathway is almost ideal.....one mower swipe in width!

Steve812 said:

"Please, just get out." And it left.

I chuckled at this. Thank you.

I think I'll try it on this awful flu and congestion. Can't hurt.

Been in the 60s & 70s (!) all week, woke up to this:


But it's supposed to get back into the 50s today & then 60s & 70s again this weekend. Just in time for a bike ride!

Your weather would drive me nuts. I hope they are right about the improvement.

Today was in the 70s but WINDY!!!!!!!! holy crap was it windy! But I have some bulbs that I planted last October sprouting heads! Yay!

(only problem is that I don't remember what I planted where. Guess I'll know when they come up. I got them from a co-op last year.. guy's in Georgia.. really nice guy)

It's windy here, too. But not in the seventies.

When it's in the fifties, sunny, and perfectly calm, it's perfect weather for playing in the garden. Sixty five and windy - as windy as it was yesterday and is today - you don't want to be outside for very long, even in a polartec or light jacket and hat.

One small field of bright yellow daffydils here is in full bloom. I think I planted about two or three hundred bulbs in that area over the course of two years.

Also some tulips that I planted 18 months ago are returning for their second season.

It is full-blown spring here: 78 and sunny but also very windy. Wind drives me nuts (or more so). I'd rather be rained on!