Dedicated with Hope, not gloating, to all my Friends back East who are buried today.


We have had a very interesting winter. A mild "El Nino" year except for two weeks of hard freeze in early December. Two weeks of day and night below freezing is rare for us, ground frozen an inch or two - also rare. We do have winter - usually a handful of snow events, and another handful of a deep diversity of freezing rain/sleet/slush/oobluch events. This winter we had a two week hard freeze, one snow, and then a big thaw that has lasted since Christmas.  The freeze followed by the thawed fooled many of the green creatures in my garden.  Often in January I can go uncover some leaf mulching and find the first nubbins of bulbs. This year they popped up before Christmas Day.  Crocus and violets blooming in the last week of January.
                                                                                                                                                  


The Camellia lost about half her blooms in the freeze but the ones that made it - are blooming.


The Hyacinth are showing color.







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Tulips and all the narcissus up and close to blooming.






The biggest concern is the peach tree which is ready to pop blooms. The bees do not seem to have been fooled - this might mean a peachless summer. The Apple tree, the Dogwood and the forsythia seem unfooled.
 




But, without a doubt, the freakiest thing is the first dandelion of the year on 
January 31 ! Oy.