Scott, Our temperatures are right back to 'normal' for this time of year, but after so many days in the 60s and 70s, and plenty of nights in the 50s and some in the 60s as well, the genie is already out of the bottle down here. I love seeing the signs of spring, but would rather see them at a more typical time. It is too early for much of what we are seeing down here. Whenever we have signs of an early warm-up, it seems like it always sleets or snows around Easter. Just because it warms up early doesn't mean it stays warm. Sharon, Daffodil, tulip and iris foliage are up here around where we live, and hyacinth, iris and allium foliage is up on our property. I just saw some crocuses up and about to bloom in town on Monday. I have Laura Bush seedlings popping up everywhere, and some of the chamomile plants are forming flowers. I'm sure happy to see the flowers, but still feel like it is too early. From now on we can use your massive Laura Bush plant as an example of how adaptable and tough these petunias are! I just love them. Susan, It sounds like a lot is going on at your place. Our catnip has stayed green and growing all winter this year, but at the present time it is just tiny rosettes down close to the ground because the cats have stomped on it, rolled on it, crushed it, etc. and I just pruned off all the flattened stems. The cats love it so much that it is a wonder they don't kill it with all that love. I forgot about the creeping speedwell. It is blooming in the front yard. I forgot to mention that the crinums are putting up new growth, and I'm seeing hints of green in the remaining brown foliage of the cannas. I can't help wondering if it all will be buried under snow in a month or more? Twice last week, I had what looked like Purple Martin scouts sitting on top of the Martin houses, but by the time I got outside to see if that's what they were, they'd flown away. It would be awfully early here for them, but I know they were seen in Fort Worth last week, so it isn't out of the realm of possibility. One good thing I can say about this year is that so far our rainfall has been great at our house. I think Love County has had about 4 inches of rain so far, but at our house we've had almost 6" in the last few weeks, and we have water standing everywhere. I hope y'all soon are blessed with more rain up there, and I wouldn't mind if we go a couple of weeks without rain here, just so the garden can dry out enough for planting. Dawn

Well, I've seen geese the past few days... but today I hit the triple-header (comes from being able to work with a window for a change, perhaps): snowdrops are blooming away, the grackles are here, and my first robin in a very long time made an appearance and broke into song. Unfortunately, the snow melt revealed I've got moles or voles in my front bed, home to columbine, astilbe, crocus, tulips, hyacinths, coral bells, and some jacob's ladder. ARGH!

Fertilize with everything you got there- water it in, and then apply weed preventer - a couple of days later. You don't want anything interfering with the chemical barrier created by weed prevent.

We got a much needed day of rain yesterday, just a steady rain. A little bit more today and lots more expected Monday. i have quite a few that are just a couple of inches up. The yard is filled with squirrels running everywhere. some of the more acrobatic ones have taken over the birdfeeders--they seem to be oblivious to the baffles and even Pam sprayed on the poles. Oh Cindy which was a couple of eyes last year is gone. I also lost a Dick Ward--but since I have 2 other ones in another bed, it's not a big deal. The Tokudama Aureo... that I got this year is now doing quite well in a pot that I put it in 6 weeks ago. Hopefully the ones outside will look as well as the new one does. Ulysses S. Grant and Liberty are getting huge.