Pink and purple hyacinths are peeking, and the daffs should pop out any day now. I have little white fluffs on my pussy willows, and everything is budding out. I still have no idea what is here, because I have never seen the place in any seasons other than fall and winter. Every day is like a little surprise package!

How exciting!

down the road from me daffodils have started blooming. Lots of buds swelling on many trees here now. In spite of the cold this morning it is definitely spring here.

MollyD

****YYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYY******!!!!!

I don't think I've ever been so happy to see it!

I probably say that every year, lol.

I wish the temp would stay above 60 for a while high of 52 today and 57 tomorrow followed by some 60's before it tumbles again.

for the daffs!!

MollyD

i'm not gonna get my hopes up too high. I'm not being a pessamist, its just that every year when my snowball bush blooms, we get snow and it knocks all the blooms off. at least the freezing temps should be over.

and I think ya'll are warmer than me.
its 43...high of 53 I think tomorrow.

I dunno, Phyl - we're forecasted to be 54 tomorrow, so not too far off. Our place has slightly different weather because we're so close to a river, but I haven't found a trend to it, yet.

all I know is I've been cold ever since I arrived in the warm south!

Phyl when does your snowball bush usually bloom?

MollyD

oh goodness...I can't remember when, lol, I just remember that I never get to enjoy the blooms.

I've had things that always seem to bloom the day before a nasty rain storm would hit. Blooms would be destroyed so if I happen not to be home that day I wouldn't get to enjoy them that year

MollyD

That's one of my complaints about tulips. The blooms get shredded, and then the whole display looks sad. All that planning and digging and anticipation, and the wind can ruin them in one day.

are yours early, mid season or late varieties?

Mine are mid-season. I was hoping to avoid the late freezes & gale force winds, yet have flowers before spring was over.

Once the flowers are done, I'm always ready to whack down bulb foliage, which is a no-no if you want them to do well the next year. Tulips often end up being annuals anyway here, so some people just pull them up when the flowers are done.

I've had really good luck with the tulips planted near the house - must act as a wind block 'cause I do get some nasty winds on this hill. It's either the house or the big shrubs that are behind them. They're also planted on an area of mounded dirt, above the clay, which might help with them returning each year.

How about planting them against a hedge for wind protection? I'd try the lates and see if that helps with the timing problem. They aren't that much later than the mid season tulips anyway. Just a matter of a couple of weeks.

MollyD

I wonder if they blow out quicker in the warmer weather.... ?

They only lasted about 5 days altogether in NY. How does that compare with Tn?

MollyD

Sorry for the slow response. The weather was warm and the sky was curiously bright today. I believe the locals call this phenomenon "sun". I was outside most of the day, so 1) a lot got accomplished and 2) I am very sore.

As for the tulips, they usually look great for a couple days, then start to lose a petal, here, a petal there, and pretty soon they look sad and ratty. Then the foliage hangs around forever, looking floppy. I've got some up by the house, which got abused anyway last year despite the protected location, and some at the end of the driveway. I am only growing one kind this year, and it's for the dark burgundy, almost black color. This year, I'm going to use them for cut flowers before the wind has a chance to ruin them.

Good idea. Yeah, I guess a week is about right.

We're almost at 100 posts, so let's start a new thread, for a new season. http://cubits.org/tngardens/th...