spring

Spring has arrived a tad early this year.  I know it's spring because the maples are flowering. 

And the other day, on my way to work, I saw 3 flocks of geese flying north. 

Maples are the first trees to pollinate.  If you are feeling snuffly and itchy (throat and eyes), blame the maples!

Did you know there are 2 main ways for plants to pollinate?  Wind and pollinating insects.  Wind pollinators are the ones that don't have showy flowers, like maples and rag weed.  Plants (and I'm including woody plants like trees and shrubs) that have showy flowers, like cherry trees, golden rod or tulips are pollinated by insects, like bees, butterflies and flies even.  They aren't the ones to blame for your dripping nose and itchy eyes. 

Some plants flower first, and then leaf out, and some leaf and then flower.  Forsythia and maples tend to flower first, and then leaf.


We're going to have an odd gardening year this year because we had such a mild winter.  A lot of plants in our zone depend on the cold and subsequent dormancy for good growth and heartiness.  kinda like how we need a good nights sleep to be productive.  We can survive, but it might not be pretty! Fruit trees won't do as well, and we're going to have a lot of bugs!  The cold kills them, but this year they would have just burrowed into something soft and hung out.


I hadn't been planning on going back to gardening this season.  I wouldn't have gotten a full season, and being pregnant wouldn't have been great for construction!  I will be going back 2 days a week to do maintenance.  I'm glad, I'd have missed my gardens!  We start early April, and maybe sooner if I help out with spring clean ups too.