Making up for lost time

[muckefuck]

Is it just me, or have some of the flowering plants been accelerated while others have been retarded? Today I saw violets and periwinkle (a.k.a. vinca, myrtle)--two flowers I associate with May or June more than April--blooming on my street. At the same time, the old Judas tree (a.k.a. redbud) near work is still only budding. Whereas some places are flooded with dandelions, I haven't seen a single Japanese or Dutch iris yet. Magnolias are blooming, but there's still nothing more than buds on the hawthorns and crabapples.

I was beginning to worry about the young trees along Argyle, but I noticed green buds on everyting but the catalpas this morning. There's still no shade to be had almost anywhere, whether in the parks or along the boulevards. The tulips are looking gorgeous, though; I'm glad they didn't suffer too much from the return of winter which took out the crocuses and seems to have decimated the daffodils as well.

Comments

[jhvilas.livejournal.com]

Locally (Durham, NC) we had some just-below-freezing temperatures right after most of the Flowering Dogwoods had bloomed. It wasn't quite cold enough to damage them; in fact, it seems like the blooms have lasted longer than normal. I wonder if it's possible for a bloom to have its life lengthened by cold temperatures, as if one cut it and put it in a refrigerator?

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

That's exactly how it works. Back in St. Louis, it sounds like they burned through most of their blooms in that one abnormally hot week we had back at the beginning of the month.

[quemadmodum.livejournal.com]

Vinca and violets (labradorica) are in full bloom here in Cambridge as well. It only took a couple of days of abnormal warmth to start them. Magnolias in bloom too throughout the area. The miniature daffodils look fried after two hot days, but the bigger varieties seem to have survived.

[rollick.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly just confused by the lack of crocuses, which in my experience always come before daffodils. YOu really think the cold just pre-killed 'em all? That's pretty sad.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Around here, they sprouted before the last cold spell. Few of them bloomed, but those that did withered after a few days of subfreezing weather. It was a very sad sight.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

Our vinca (we're in zone 5b) usually comes in around the end of April or early May.

But violets? in June?

[romine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, everything is quite messed up these days. Here in Austria, we had some flowers blooming in March that usually never bloom before the end of May. At least the weather is season-appropriate at the moment.

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

NW Arkansas was clobbered by the cold spell earlier this month which hit right when the oaks were putting out the little pollen beards. People say it got down to 17 degrees F, and was way below freezing for several days. The result is some sad, freeze-dried looking trees -- oaks, and some others. Other trees, like maples, have pretty green leaves.

When I flew in on Friday, I wondered where the green leaves were. Things are looking better now, but people predict no acorns, no mast for deer, squirrels and feral hogs. Guess we'll just have to eat those guys and spare them the hardship.