Early Spring

We should know later today if the lilacs went bad.  It was so hot for so long that alot of plants got way ahead of themselves: Forsythia are blooming, Magnolias about to and the lilac buds are more expanded than ususl for this time of year.Lilacs are suscepible to Pseudomonas, a bacterium when they've sustained some tissue freezing which happens when they start to expand and then iot freezes- it got quite cold last night but my thermometer read 27 at 7:00 am so I think I'm going to be OK.  Quite alot of lilacs are at stake here.

Forsythia in bloom

Last night on my way home, I noticed Vermont Sun Forsythia in bloom already.   It is a different sort of Forsythia- F. mandschurica, with wider cordate based leaves looking sort of like lilac leaves.  It get quite good fall color.   It tends to be a little bit sparser flowering- in severe winters some of the flower buds get wiped out but this year it's fine and it is earlier than the others.  The plant is somewhat stoloniferous and, in my opinion, it has a tendency to flop.   When it's not flopping to one side, it is ridgidly upright rather than having the widevase-shaped to rounded form of the other Forsythias

Bulb Show at Smith College

Friday I visited the annual bulb show at Smith's Lyman Conservatory in Northampton ,Mass.  As I've noticed before over the years, plants forced in greenhouses tend to have brighter colors.  Also, they different Narcissus were way taller than when grown outside--they all had to be staked and pressed closely enough together to hold each other up.  Two varieties which I don't have and liked at the show were Avalon and Tropical Sunset--I am hoping to getmore this year.
   Our Daffodil walk is planned for April 29th, a week earlier than normal.

Planting Early

I can't believe it but I just planted lettuce and spinach in my garden this afternoon.   The frost is out of the ground-- I was also able to dig overwintered parsnips which are better in the spring than the fall.  At the farm, where I help out in the winter, this has been the worst maple syrup season we have ever had.  Now I start at the nursery tomorrow.  Snow drops are in full bloom now, snow crocus just starting, pussy willows just emerging

Snowdrops

Snowdrops are now blooming in my garden,   My favorite thing about these small, delicate, unassuming and yet very fragrant, readily proliferating bulbs is that they are the first thing to bloom at my house.   I keep deviding and putting them im new locations so I have managed to get them in the spots which warm up first.  I have quite alot in lawns where they seem to be OK.  They are not the best flower for arranging as they are about 3 inches tall but I often dig up clumps for the house which I later devide and replant.   This winter I have created lots of new areas for plantings.     Spring is Here or as was spelled out in crocus along Rt. 320 in Villanova, PA where I used to live ..."P ING IS HE"