So warm, until it's not
>> Tuesday, March 21, 2017 –
Spring,
winter damage
This is what you get when you have warm, mild weather for a while...
...and then a night of 18ºF (-8ºC). Those plants that emerge early -- even earlier than normal -- get melted.
Dicentra (wait, didn't it change genus?) is not my favorite plant, but I've grown accustomed to those amazing little pendant heart blooms each spring.
Not sure I'll see any this year -- unless you count the ones already on the ground.
Only one of my Japanese Maples had leaves opened enough to get stung:
Some weird leaf colors now...
...as there should not be so much brown mixed in there.
I suppose the rhubarb wouldn't have been so far along if it had been in the ground...
...but it really got toasted.
Some plants are apparently fine with the hard freezes, like queen of the prairie:
Looks unfazed!
I'm so glad the bamboo shoots that have emerged are still just an inch or two tall. Any bigger and they would have been lost.
We set a record high of 85ºF (29ºC) yesterday, and it's back down to somewhat normal temps again now (55ºF/13ºC is a normal high for this time of year). Warm again soon though. I like it -- as long as the hard freezes stay away!
.
How many days between 18 and 85? It just boggles my mind that anything can live through those wild fluctuations, even humans!
Hi Allen,
This is Jim who lives on the other side of 141 from you. I got some bamboo from you to make a bee house. So you don't feel alone, my rose bushes leafed out about 2 to 3 inches. Then the deer ate all the new growth off. Then the temperature dropped to 19. All 8 of the bushes are black now. I'm pretty sure that means dead. Misery loves company.
Is your weather always this schizophrenic? It's got be hard on plants and people alike!
There had to be a reason why queen of the prairie was crowned... The temperature fluctuations is unnerving. I hope it settles soon.
Loree: Wed night it was 18ºF, then Friday (2 days later) was mid-70s, then Monday 85. Spring is unpredictable!
Jim: I'm surprised you have any roses left -- deer have eaten all of mine (except my big one) and rose rosette disease got the rest.
Gerhard: It's often crazy like this, but maybe moreso lately?
Chavliness: I expect it will settle on "hot" quite too soon for my liking. I'd love to have one of those cooler summers like we did a few years ago though...
Your warm temperatures sound divine as we're still colder than normal but those lows are scary. Sorry about your toasted foliage! Fingers crossed for no more freezes for you.
Hope you don't have too much damage. Somehow the plants (and the gardener) will find a way.