Spring Wants to be Here, But....

It was very warm all week, and on Friday evening we sat out on the deck in the warm evening. Then tried to bring the new furniture, a card catalog unit we won in a sealed bid auction from the Weyauwega Public Library, into the house. It was way too heavy for the two of us to carry, so we will go at it another way over the weekend.

I woke up early Saturday morning to the sound of heavy winds. Wind is such an intrusive weather event. This wind was bringing in much colder temperatures - a drop of 30 or 40 degrees overnight. On Saturday morning the spring had left, and we were suddenly back in March (even though this is the end of April.) It was not a good day to even think about working outside. So we did our weekly shoping and then went out and found a hand truck that would make it possible for us to bring the catalog around the house and into the garden doors to the living room. Went very well, and it looks great

The wind persisted, and I worried about the plants out in the greenhouse. So we put them down on the deck and against the house and wrapped them in burlap for the chilly night, hoping they would not loose enough heat to freeze.

The wind died overnight, but the clouds also cleared and it was about freezing when we got up at 7 AM. But the greenhouse stayed just above freezing and the plants were ok.

Bill finished the planter, and I moved some coneflowers from places they weren't welcome to places they were. Also moved a nice little pagoda dogwood sapling to a place where it may be nice some day. And dug up two little ones into pots to possibly give them away later this spring. Cleaned up a little bit in lots of places, picked up fallen branches, especially under the willow.

Throughout the neighborhood the sound of lawn mowers was easy to hear, and when we took our bikes out for a short ride in the late afternoon the smell of fresh cut grass was everywhere. I really would like to last another week or so before we start that routine. We did fertilize the lawn, and a few of the flower beds.

For the record, temps were almost 70 degrees thursday and friday, and down to highs in the 40's on Saturday. It got down to 31 Sat. night. Sunday it is forcast to get to 35, but then only up to 39 on Monday, with an overnight low of 29. geez. We are already late in getting started, and this will only slow things down.

The bloodroot is done flowering, it was a very short (ephemeral) show. Trout lilies are still in bloom, but not for long. The apple trees have some very swollen flower buds and will probably bloom by the end of the week. There is at least one trillium with a flower bud, and I spotted some sprouts of jack-in-the-pulpit near the bloodroot, and also near the bench by the creek. Jacks are what I consider the signature plant for this yard. I started them from some seedlings that I grew from a seed bundle a friend gave me. They spent a winter in my freezer, then grew a summer in my light garden before being planted out. I realize now that I really didn't need to have protected them so - they are pretty much invincible. Also showing are the Anenomie Canadensis - a nice big clump/area that comes back every year. The flowers won't be evident for weeks, but the shoots are up and hearty. No spring beauties yet. This is really a very late spring.

Hostas are just staring to sprout. Sedums are about 3 inches high. Pasque flowers started blooming this weekend. The shooting star has inflorescesces starting to form. Joe Pye weed isn't showing sprouts yet, though I can find them if I brush away the mulch. No sigh of the butterfly weed, but it is always late enough that I almost give up hope. I think the blanket flowers were lost this year from all of the locations in my yard. Pretty sure they would be showing somewhere if they were still alive.

Lilacs will bloom pretty soon - just need a few days of warm weather. And the Magnolia in the front is swelling and ready to go. Just hope the cold weather expected in the next week won't kill the buds.