Late Winter Warmups: The Triumph of Hope Over Experience

I know. Oscar Wilde was talking about second marriages, but our reactions to warm spells at the end of February and in March are a close second.

Photograph showing closeup of snow on redbud in the rain garden.
The dormant redbud in the rain garden. Notice the texture of the snow, which fell slushy. Photographed on March 2, 2018.

We had 7 ½ inches of slush on March 1. This is what greeted me the following morning. It looked like someone had sprayed the world with spray-on grass seed/newspaper mulch mix, but in the lovely white of snow, instead of that weird green. Slush never looked this good in New York City.

The snowdrops were buried, but the kousa dogwood had snow flowers, fluffy-looking clumps of slushy snow.

Photograph of dormant kousa dogwood with clumps of slush nested in the flower buds.
On this morning, the kousa dogwood looked like it had bloomed. Photographed on March 2, 2018.

It’s early spring in Michigan, so temperatures teeter above freezing during the day and well below freezing at night. Plants that are just a few feet apart can be in very different environments. To the east of the oakleaf hydrangea, the snowdrops were popping through the snow.

Photograph of snowdrop flower buds just about ready to bloom.
Snowdrops poking out of the melting slush. Photographed on March 3, 2018.

Circling around to the south side of the same hydrangea, other snowdrops were basking in a sunbeam that had melted most of the snow.

Phoograph of a clump of snowdrops getting ready to bloom.
Snowdrops in a sunnier spot. Some of the flowers have made the final move from sticking up, nestled in their modified leaves, to hanging over on thin little stalks. They come up quickly enough that sometimes they burst through the dried leaves covering them, as seen to the right of center. Photographed on March 3, 2018.

We have had several small storms of what feels like April snow during this March cold snap.

A week into March, there was still snow and ice hanging around, but the hybrid tulips were embracing it.

Photograph of leaf break in a hybrid tulip.
This purple Darwin hybrid tulip burst right through the maple leaves covering its bed. That bright red cluster to the left is a little bunch of not-quite blooming flowers that fell from the silver maple. Photographed on March 7, 2018.

Nearby, another mid- to late-spring plant, lady’s mantle, is breaking dormancy.

Photograph of lady's mantle at leaf break, with characterist unfolding-fan appearance
Common lady’s mantle is just breaking dormancy. Photographed on March 7, 2018.

On the other side of the house, which faces south, the daffodils fully intend to bloom. Soon. There are a lot of fat flower buds. I am noticing that plants mixed with daffodils are suffering less bunny predation.

A clump of daffodils with flower buds and slush.
Daffodils, budding up. Photographed on March 7, 2018.

It doesn’t seem like there is a lot happening if you just glance at the yard, but there really is a lot of prep work going on. In preparation for what? Warmer spring days. They are coming. The sap is running. The squirrels are starting to steal leaves out of the fig pen for their nests, and the mourning doves are chasing each other.