Tardy Spring 2014 – Continues

On Tuesday April 15, winter roared back, on the heels of a promisingly warm Monday.  Soft spring rain gave way to freezing rain, ice pellets and snow as the northwest wind brought the winter down again.  Later that day I shovelled the back steps – as I have too often this winter – and looked at the little garden there.  The daffodils had poked their heads up in the warmth but now they were nearly covered by snow.
And once again, all I could think of was:

Sh*t that’s cold!

 

By the way… have you ever noticed that the dagger leaves of springtime flowers often impale the autumn leaves that were laid on top of them?  At first I wondered how that happened.  I’m sure that you could balance a dry maple leaf on the pointy end of a very sharp needle and it would not go through.  Even if there were a stack of leaves, there wouldn’t be enough weight to push the leaves down onto the pin – let alone onto the sharp end of a green leaf.  Then it hit me.  The bulbs grow under the snow.  The spring sun warms the soil right down to the bulbs, even before it has melted the snow.  The green leaves push up right into the snow, and right through the autumn leaves.

There are two lessons to be learned.  Spring bulbs are hardy enough to survive a late snow… and spring is inexorable.  It will come.  Soon.  Please.