Odd, but not trouble
enlarge this imageIn a spring when it seems half our plants were burned in the cold, it's good to realize the brown on this redbud (Cercis canadensis) is not dead leaves or twigs. It's only a heavy crop of seed pods.
No damage, yet still a lesson to learn
Sometimes after a tough season we can see so much damage that
we're alarmed even by things we'd normally overlook. For
instance:
"Oh, no, so what happened to that little fir?!"
"Ha. Nothing. It's just the stalks from the cones it shed last
year."
"Hmm. Nothing happened... No damage even above the wrapping. So
there's a bit less to do next fall -- no burlap necessary."
Consolation prize
When spring comes late, the earliest blooming plants practically
jump out of the ground, as if they must make up for lost time.
Maybe this year when the air's been very cold but the ground's been
so well insulated under snow, we'll see what we never have --
crocuses, daffodils and tulips all blooming together.
