Alana,

Sit back and enjoy the journey!! Don't let frustration get in the way of a beautiful and wonderful passion. Each day is different as each year will be different along the way. Some call it global warming, some call it this, some call it that....at the end of the day, look forward to what will bloom and those that possibly get damaged due to our warm spell, there is always next year.

Patty

Oh Patty I'm still very much enjoying it. I just know we are going to get some more late freezes and such. I have been having a ball in the yard the last week, been getting in the yard all i can, and I know every year there seem to be weather changes at least lately. The one thing that hasn't changed yet is our late freezes.

On a high note I noticed blooms for the first time on my daffodil that I got from my dad's two years ago that his grandparents planted. Just saw that and was so happy. I'm really loving the weather, but I do hope the heat will go down some, I just don't want a repeat of last year. I did notice a few of the once bloomer are starting to leaf out, must have started yesterday. I got wacked on the eyeball so was taking it easy indoors. I got wacked by a grapevine, when I was cleaning and trimming them and then my husband got me in the same one in his sleep. Just my luck, lol He felt so bad! He been tossing too much lately, I told him I was going to get my own room if he didn't stop beating me up in his sleep. The bad thing is it was just my eyeball. It still hurts alittle. Mostly becsuse he hit it again getting into bed last night, so I told him he better stay to his side, and If he hit me again by accident anywhere else he could sleep elsewhere, so he felt even worse hitting it twice!

Linda what have your temperatures been? Ours was in the 50s and 60s, with two days in the 70s. But this whole next week is suppose to be 70s with lows of 60s. Maybe some thing will change.

I'm so sorry about the twister! We had one touch down, last year or so, not far from our house, but thank goodness it didn't stay. It did take down a power wire, that was catching the woods on fire. My husband took care of the fire and I called the power company. We had one tunneling down late last year, with one of those storms right beside our house, but thank goodness it changed its mind! Had me scared.

The weather is doing what it wants too anyway, just hoping it will go back to normal.

At least you have water . . .

Alana, it was up to mid seventies one day. Is cool and drizzly today but I think around 55. No freezes in sight.

I'm sorry your eye got hurt..be careful! It can be good to wear goggles or some kind of eye protection outside. Last year I bent over a rose plant and really jabbed my eye seriously with a cane. If you get intent on a weed you can forget about what is closer to your eye with disastrous results. I've done it to myself several times through the years. The twister hopped , skipped, and jumped all around this area. There were several twisters I think.

I looked at my Tour de Malakoff plant awhile ago and it is cankered and doesn't look like it has grown at all. I might write to Palatine and ask if there was something wrong with their plants of it. Hope you get rain, Jeri.

I am watching the wind beat to death my newly planted tomatoes (always have to try and cheat on our last frost date because it's a race against the summer heat) and two new bare root Austins that are leafing out. It is always something. Texas weather has been crazy my entire life, so I tend to be rather que sera sera about it. I try to really enjoy the rare mild springs we get. Last year's spring and summer were very mild and cool by our standards - it was lovely. Until Harvey, lol. I recommend reading Harvey Mitchell's gardening books. He has great, humorous perspective on our gardening hopes and dreams vs the vagaries of the weather.

Are you in Houston, needmoremulch? We lived there 12 years and I have a BIL there still, who was in touch with me hour by hour during Harvey. He lucked out. I hope you did too. I might check out that guy's books... I'd welcome some garden humor for sure.

Alana, Palatine wrote back to me already. They said they had no other complaints about Tour de M, and that if I'd written sooner maybe they could have helped. I was not asking for a refund or new plant and understand that they can't guarantee a plant that far out.

Close to Houston, erasmus. We came through fine. Mitchell was the garden columnist for the Washington Post for years. He's a great read.

needmore, I think you had an extra "Harvey" in your earlier post, assuming that you meant Henry Mitchell. Here's a nice remembrance from the competitor newspaper.

Virginia

LOL, Virginia, so I did. Harvey on the brain.

Needmoremulch thanks for the recommendation, I'll look him up. I always love to get more books. Sorry for the late reply, been busy. I dontg mind a mild Spring, I love them. But last year, because spring started so early, IMO our summer was extra ,hot, humid ,and dry. We usually get afternoon storms, but didn't get many last summer and so the daytime was really hot and humid, with no afternoon showers to relieve any of the heat.

Linda, thanks for letting me know, if your cuttings don't pull through, I may have someone to get more cuttings from. So just let me know.

Thanks for the link Virginia! I'll have to read later, so busy lately. Also wanted to let you know cl. Cecile is still looking good, and so is yours!

A really great read at the doctors office Virginia, Thank you! I really enjoyed it.

Edited, I was wrong we are in the 80s this week, not 70s...worse

I hear you, Alana. It's always something. Hoping the weather and seasons cooperate better for you!

It keeps on I'm moving! I like 4 seasons and rain, but I guess we can't always have it all huh!?

needmoremulch and Virginia (what a store of information you are!), thank you so much for introducing me to Henry Mitchell. Loved the article, Virginia.

After unseasonably warm weather for most of January and February, today I lifted a disc of ice off my birdbath. I put it in the shade and it has yet to melt. There simply is no normal any more.

You are so right Ingrid! We will just have to see where we are and what's left in the next five years if things keep changing.

Ingrid, that is wacky that you have ice on your birdbath... it's funny, that's how I know if we had a freeze... I look to see if any of our birdbaths have a skating rink on top.

Not any time soon... the lowest temperature in our 10-day forecast is 50F. Plants that died back during our "big snow" are starting to come back to life, and it isn't even March yet.

Alana, I think we had better rain last summer than you did, bit it wasn't as much as we often get (evening thundershowers in nearly every forecast).

Ingrid. I hope you enjoy your coolth; I don't suppose you'll get any rain as well?

Virginia

We were supposed to get rain today and tonight, Virginia. I was on the phone today with Ingrid around noon, and it began raining here. She looked outside, and it was dry. My “rain” promptly disappeared and didn’t return. That was it, about 3 minutes worth. The news at 5pm said the little storm was rapidly falling apart. It’s still quite cold for here, and it will probably freeze again tonight. There is another chance for rain next week, but I’ll believe it when I see it. This IS the driest winter I can remember, and the coldest late February as well. Crazy! Lisa

Yes Virginia I think my rain went south. We generally had a storm in the afternoons to cool hells fire but we didn't get any relief. I think why I lost the few roses I did even with watering. Because those days were soo hot and humid! With no relief. My veggies didn't like it either.