Surprise!

For those of us that thought the snow was done, spring was here in true form, April showers, May flowers.......not quite! Several wintery days has left us with over 8 new inches of snow, so heavy my 9ft emerald cedars almost touch the ground. Bent over like exhausted runners at the end of the race but ready to bounce back with a little time and help. If your garden is now blanketed with a carpet of white fluff take comfort in the fact that your spring bulbs and perennials are insulated, waiting again to emerge. The extra snow will also add to the much needed ground moisture plants need for extensive spring growing. The unfortunate victims are the early flowering trees and shrubs whose flower buds where starting to swell in preparation to bloom. Persistent freezing temperatures & ice build up can damage these buds decreasing number of flowers and therefore the number of fruit or berries produced. Not all is doom and gloom! Many plants have adapted to this cycle, but having lots of pollinators (yes that means bees) will help the garden flourish in the long run. I hear the snow melting as I write!