Spring in Puerto Vallarta, looking toward los arcos, after an exceptionally rare February thunderstorm.

Signs of spring @ AL/FL border, all permanent ground plants, some cultivated, some on their own in mowed area.

Spiderwort (Tradescantia) and Oxalis crassipes.

Banana plant waking back up.

White violets.

Purple heart/queen waking up (Tradescantia pallida) with Sedum rupestre/reflexum.

Tradescantia cerinthoides.

More spiderwort & Crinum lily bulbs.

Henbit (Lamium)

Amaryllis bulbs (I think, they're new, found in pots someone's trash pile a few months ago.) The foliage in front is red spider/hurricane lilies that bloom in Sept.

Somehow, this tiny bit of Begonia 'Beefsteak' survived winter.

Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana that survived at the roots.)

Queen's tears (Billbergia nutans) that got a little frost bite but wasn't killed, now blooming.

Wax Begonias.

Polka dot plant (Hypoestes)

Angel trumpets (Brugmansia)

Some snake plants (Sansevieria) that didn't fit in the pots I made to keep inside. I hadn't realized this spot was such an effective micro-climate. Hmm...

Swedish ivy / creeping Charlie (Plectranthus verticillatus)

Veronica arvensis, about as small as a flower can get and still be seen. They're about the size of a BB.

Found this gorgeous little whitish frog hanging out in the water in a (potted, the only one of my pics today that is) 'Foster's Striate' Billbergia plant.

Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) are waking up.

And Tradescantia 'Baby Bunny Bellies'

Im so jealous of your climate. Some of those plants dont seem reliably hardy in your locale, must be luck

We arent reliably frost free till middle of May

Wow! Look at that! Sure hope there aren't more cold snaps and these beauties go dormant. That banana plant--how exciting! And the colocasias are so regal! Very impressive!

Rhamel, you're right, some of them are pleasant surprises of things I ran out of room for, after potting up the biggest individuals of each kind. (Begonia 'Beefsteak,' snake plant, queen's tears & Kalanchoe)

The best I can say is that I once had a Canna I must had missed in my fall dig pop up(They are only hardy zone 7-8 south), but last year it was very mild. It sounds like you have fun with Tropicals, and your area is truly suitable for year round gatdening. Id be growing spinach and mustard greens all winter there!

Are Brugmansia reliably hardy?

Yes, but only from the roots. They "reliably" get zapped by frost in mid-bloom every year. It's the most horrible thing. I don't know if I have the fortitude for them! LOL!

That sounds horrible! They are grown here as annuals or saved indoors, they seem to look tired at the end of the season(but maybe because of cooler temps)

Oh those crocuses are lovely! I always keep an eye out for my snowdrops(earliest flower I see). In good years they bloom Feb. 28. Then I see crocus.

Your weather is bound to be similar to mine. Hang in there, we northerners are tough. The Tulips, Magnolias and Pussy Willows are coming!

Still in the dead of winter for me, although today was unusually warm (60*F something). Spring is on the horizon :)

Still winter and miles and miles of snow here. It is so interesting to see plants that I have on a window sill growing in your garden!

OH MY STARS! FOUND SNOWDROPS IN MY BACKYARD!!!! These are super early, but this brick and sun provide a warm microclimate. Still sporadic snow on ground

I'll bet you could grow a nice FIG tree in ground and push a few southern zoned plants there! Boy, would I give that a shot! I do it all the time here in COLD New England....I have yet to see anything show signs of mine up here but I do have Brugmansia, lots of them all bare in the basement darkness just dying to go outside...

Beautiful everyone.

These snowdrops were there when I moved here. That area has very rocky and dry soil. But I agree in a month or so ill be working that soil and planting some tender borderline hardy plants, a Chicago Fig might work. Last year my potted tomatoes there produced fruit considerably earlier than the ones elsewhere. I mighy try a needle palm too, they are supposedly hardy to 6b if protected. My snowdrops in my front yard havent grown am inch and are still covered in snow

Yes, I have Spring fever too...planted seeds yesterday, 2 trays. My semi mini african violet is in bloom though....but can't get out to look at my gardens because....

We have been known to get frost up until the end of May. sigh..

Debra I know :/ My climate is virtually identical to both of you, being you live in Ma. I try luck the first week if may if the 10 day Forcast looks reliably warm (45℉+)

Great thread! I'm sure many are dying to get back into the soil. I used to get it I'm lucky enough to have two springs. zone 9 spring happening now in the GH and zone 5b spring in May.

seedlings that have just come up:

Marigold

Peas

Nasturtium

Citrus

California poppy

Glad to see you're all having some success thanks for sharing & HAPPY SPRING!

Here's a few pics

Tomato blooms

Banana waking up

Apple waking up

an idea what the temperature has been like in the shade

It will be a warm week they say..so our snow will be gone I'm sure...then I can take a walk around & see what's what out there..

I have zinnias, moon flower, cardinal vine & blue lake beans that have just sprouted ...I only planted them 2 days ago.

Going to get near 70 for 2 days, bulbs will start to awaken

Rejoice those of you smothered in feet of snow and formidable cold!

My grass is green, the sun is shinning, tree buds are swelling, camellias are blooming. It feels like April. That just means one thing to me.

YARD WORK! Winter is the convenient excuse to stay inside and just 'chill'.

We had a snow fall warning a week or so ago which was followed by a Chinook so there was a huge melt. The temp was far above zero all week with 16C weather on some days. People were wearing shorts and T-shirts! Though the Chinook left and now we're back below freezing with snow all week :\. Though there isn't alot of snow on the ground (in the sunny spots that is! I still can't see my pond)

I won't be seeing signs of life until at least the middle or end of April. Sometimes even the beginning of May. Though I get to escape to my Cabin in March which will be snow free and actually spring!

Pffff you think frost is bad in May? What about frost and snow?

Robins should be arriving soon, so at least I have those to look out for

OMG snow in May and June that's not right

Yesterday warmest day in Feb. EVER! 69-70℉. Today expected to at lest tie it. Incredible. Causing my lilacs to wake up too early, NOOOO

Sempervivums made it through the winter & lots of snow...most of it melted in past few days, but half of yard still has snow. These containers seem good, plants in one of them has some chewing on plants by rabbits!!!

73 degrees right now, this is unreal. Our old monthly record is 65

Oh those are outside succulents

Rhamel, it's darn warm here too. windows open. whole house fan on.

right now it says 69* I like the 50's myself.

70 F. and full sun all day was a bit of a shock to the system after a near blizzard about two weeks ago. I actually came in from my yard work early as the sun was getting to me. At this rate, might not leave the house at all in 6 months.

Im not a fan of baking sun either, summer is rough on me. But better than that blizzard we got

Matt

You mean sempervivums? Yes, they are hardy succulents...I am showing what they look like outside, after more than 2' of snow melted...these are grown in containers.

It's been unusually warm these past few days, and as a result...

Guess what I found today!

All ground plants:

Azalea

Gardenia bud:

A sterile butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii cultivar.)

Dianthus has been blooming non-stop for over a year, since I put it here, but it looks refreshed:

Bulbs coming up, pretty sure they're Amaryllis. We will see whenever they bloom! Foliage in front is red spider/hurricane lilies (Lycoris radiata,a September bloomer,) and purple heart/queen (Tradescantia pallida) in the back.

Confederate roses get knocked back to the ground during a normal winter in this area, but unless something drastic is yet to happen, this young one has stayed alive to the tips. (Hibiscus mutabilis.)

Lantana camara, always starts again at the ground every spring.

Angel trumpets (Brugmansia suaveolens,) acts same as Lantana.

WJ (Tradescantia zebrina) waking up for the season, also disappears over winter.

Bananas, same thing, a real diva, a plant that indicates when a first frost has occurred, if you didn't get up early enough to be sure. Swedish ivy/creeping Charlie behind (Plectranthus verticillatus.)

First Venus looking glass sprout I've found (Triodanis.) I love these cute little plants, a dainty spring ephemeral, annual. No, I don't think that's right. It's probably a Veronica.

Tradescantia cerinthoides/blossfeldiana.

Cannas have awakened

Oh, I use to grow cannas at our other house...hated digging them up though..

We had a heavy snow squall last night...weird. It's still wicked windy out there. it's 20* right now @ 3:00 pm.

Spiderwort in the "lawn" got a reprieve of another week. Mower wouldn't start.

I had Spiderwort once...very invasive plant..

Hope your mower is ok...

Lovely plant, except when in my yard

The spiderwort is native. It's the grass that's invasive. TY, Debra! :+)

Sigh....it's snowing out there, forecasting 2".....then next week a Nor'easter is on it's way.

I guess Phil's forecast was accurate again. Sorry though.

I dug up enough spiderwort to make a ring around this confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis.) There's enough still in the "lawn" to make it 4-5x as thick but this is how much energy I found for it.

Good job Tiffany! Wish I could get my hands dirty outside. I used to have it growing in a raised bed & it got into the lawn too.

Every place has its good points and bad. Have lived in the South and in the islands. Heat and humidity doesn't suit me so summers in such areas are rough. Also miss having seasons in such places (and green Christmases do absolutely nothing for me). There are times I envy the plants that can be grown outdoors in such places, but there are plants we northerners have that they can't grow and our autumn colors are superior. :-)

This time of year, I hit a couple orchid shows for a nice uplifting "fix".