The forecast low for tonight is 12 degrees here in northern MN. It has snowed 5 of the last 8 days. Snow levels (not in drifted areas) range from 17" to 21" The good new is that everything is still in it's winter mode. I'm not expecting to get any damage. It's going to be a very late start of the season. My Autumn Britten raspberries (fall producers) have been hit with early fall frost 2 of the last 3 years. This year, because of such a late start, they won't have a chance at producing. I will be pulling out the entire 52 ft row when the frost is out of the ground. The good news is that my summer "Boyne" raspberries were my favorite anyway. This really late spring may actually help my blueberry and sour cherry blossoms avoid getting hit with frost. The snow is still to deep to determine if I had any vole damage.

You're right, this has been some crazy weather and then this morning we actually got a little rain. Not enough to water the plants but about the right amount to make blowing dust stick onto our cars! We finally got our chicken fence built so the space I had to leave available for the concrete truck is now available for making a couple of small vegetable beds. The boys used block to lay out one 4 x 8 bed and my little seed grown tomatoes will finally have a home if I can get some horsey byproduct worked in. Maybe I'll scrape out the chicken coop and use some of that too. We finally got rid of the monstrous canary date palm from the front of our house. The landscaper I gave it to had a crew here two days digging it out and another half day with a crane to get it up and onto a truck. You know what they say, one person's trash is another's treasure. Maria

Yep, I am fairly confident that there will be more blooms to come. Mine tend to put out new bud growth for around 6 weeks - some of the earlier blooms will have fully swollen nectaries while new growth is still coming forth from the base...and most of the stray early starters have been single blooms so I am enjoying the show and looking forward to a second act. I had been rescuing seedlings from a variety of sources - friend's gardens mostly, and was astonished at the variety since I grow mostly species and just the common (and slightly dull) greyish pink orientalis. Apart from one cherished yellow, I paid little attention to the lenten roses but was astounded to see frilly doubles, deep slates and plums, a couple of pure white (not niger), gloriously vivid lime green and a beautiful bright red...obviously scrounged from gardeners who are happier to splash the cash than this tightwad cheapskate (who has paid money only once in a couple of decades...for the aforementioned yellow)..

All of my camellias have bloomed early. I have a white powderpuff that often doesn't bloom because the flowers come out in late January and are usually hit with a frost or freeze. It is now in full bloom and has been for a week or so. My purple firespikes are now starting to bloom; this is about a month or two early for them. My Cape Honeysuckle usually has a few blooms now if it there hasn't been a freeze. It has been in full bloom for about six weeks now. Also, my porterweeds are still flowering. This is very late for them. They decline quickly in cool weather and shut down entirely with a freeze. Now they are still in full bloom mode. Very unusual weather, but it is going to change soon.