Sunday saw a very frigid Valentine's Day with the temperatures hitting -10°F (-23°C).
Monday saw a storm of perfect snowflakes.
The cold froze the six-pointed crystals,
keeping them in perfect snowflake shape.
Tuesday brought a drastic change with lots of rain and melting snow.
And Wednesday saw the first bloom of the year in the garden.
What I believe might be a little Crocus tommasinianus 'Roseus' is in bloom, beating out even my snowdrops for first bloom of the season.
In February.
Three days after the coldest day this winter.
(Not that I'm complaining.)
What a strange winter it has been!
Your first bloom is a lovely one. This year the garden is bound to be full of surprises.
ReplyDeleteI think so too! It's nice to have a milder winter after the last one.
DeleteIndeed! We have had some crazy temperature fluctuations this winter. The plants aren't sure if they should blooms or stay quiet. But I admit it is nice to have a break in the cold.
ReplyDeleteI've had tulips trying to come up since before Christmas, which has been very strange. Such odd weather, but I'm not complaining!
DeleteWow that is a change...we had snow and -20F, and then midweek we got snow, rain ice and snow...then some melt this weekend with 50F. But we have loads of water and snow still...no blooms and I suspect we will have more snow and cold here...no spring in central NY.
ReplyDeleteWe are a little bit warmer than you guys usually, I think. -20, wow!
DeleteOh, your title is so true for those of us in cold-winter climates! Actually our shift was a little slower than yours, but we did go from the coldest day to the warmest day of the year (so far) in a little more than one week. Yesterday was an incredible spring-like day! I don't have anything blooming yet, but many spring bloomers are poking through the soil. Your pink Crocus is lovely! And the snowflakes ... wow!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I couldn't believe it when I saw a bloom in February! I've had bulbs trying to come up for some time, though. And the snow must have insulated the crocus well!
DeleteYour photos of the individual snowflakes are amazing. I have never actually seen snowflakes like that. Our weather certainly has had its ups and downs, but spring seems to be coming no matter what. However, our last frost date is April 15, so a lot can still happen.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen snowflakes like that before either. I happened to look down at our driveway, which didn't have much snow already on it, and saw lots of tiny star shapes. Then of course I had to break out some black backgrounds and a camera!
DeleteThe weathers been pretty crazy here, too. Ditto what Deb said about the amazing snowflake photos! Very cool!! :o)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I was so glad I was able to get a photo of some, as it was such a cool experience seeing all those perfect snowflakes!
DeleteSo true for us, too--it's been a crazy winter. Saturday we hit 70, and everyone was outside--some in shorts and sandals! The temps are going down now, and by Wednesday we're supposed to get ice or snow. My poor daffodils have been in a holding pattern for a couple of weeks; I think they're totally confused:) Amazing photos of the snowflakes!
ReplyDeleteWow, such warm weather! It's felt like spring several days this year, but I don't mind after our last winter!
DeleteSo true, Indie. This year especially has been a roller coaster of temperatures. Still much winter in our area yet to come I suspect. It never seemed to get a foothold yet though.
ReplyDeleteI fully expect a snowstorm to come roaring through in April or sometime later to make up for all this mild weather!
DeleteOoo ... -23°C! That's cold! Your crocus is beautiful and unusual.
ReplyDelete