The witch hazel usually blooms by the end of January, but I thought it could be a little late this year because of all the Alberta clippers that chugged through at the end of December and in the first half of January.
Then the snow started melting.
Within a week or so, you could see the rolled-up petals peeking out.
They really don’t care too much about snow, as long as they can warm up enough in the sunshine to unfurl.
By yesterday, they were beginning to unfurl. Each petal is like a blow tickler—the petals roll out when it’s warm enough, and then roll right back up when the temperature drops.
The next big garden event is a tossup: will the sap run before the early bulbs bloom? Perhaps. The rabbits have been very hungry this winter—I will be out there dusting my early tulips and crocuses with cayenne pepper, if I spot them before they get mowed.
Update: as of January 28, the ground is thawed and the tips of snowdrop and crocus leaves are just visible. And… our meteorologist buddies are predicting a couple of inches of snow to complicate Monday.