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Don't Worry, Spring Will Come

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There have been several articles in the last week or so comparing the weather we have had to endure the last month or so with the relatively mild conditions we enjoyed last year. It seems like winter just does not want to let go of its icy grip on many parts of the U.S. this year. I am happy to tell you that I am beginning to see a sign that spring is doing its best to push old man winter out of the way. The first thing that I noticed was that the Silver Maples are producing flowers. Silver Maples are one of the earliest flowering trees, and the flowers are red in color and about ¼ inch in diameter. If the recent cold weather has been good for anything, it may be that some of the Silver Maple flowers may be damaged, which could lead to a reduction in the number of seeds that develop. The seeds are called samaras, but most people call them helicopters as the wing part of the seed cause them to spin as they float down from the tree. This method of seed dispersal assures a wide distribution of the seeds, especially into my gutters. Another sure sign of spring is seeing spring bulbs begin to poke up through the ground. It just takes a couple of warm, sunny days to entice the bulbs to push out of the ground. Many people become concerned when they see their bulbs push through and then the temperatures drop below freezing or we receive some late snow that accumulates a couple of inches – will these conditions harm the new growth? No. Spring germinating bulbs are adapted to handle cold weather and can survive even when temperatures drop below freezing or they are covered by snow. There may be some slight damage to some of the older leaves, but since the flowers have not started to form, they should be fine. My lawn is also starting to lose the brown cast from winter and it is beginning to look much greener. I am anxious to get out and start working on my gardens, but I know that I still have at least another month or so before I can really start to do anything, so I have to be patient, spend my time looking at gardening magazines and start to plan what I want to plant this year. Maybe this year I will actually draw up a plan. Either way, it's time to start planning for spring clean-up!