Robins have already been around is the only sign I've seen of spring.

Nothing like that in my yard, Marjie!

Despite an unseasonably warm January, we are back to a seasonable February. It snowed for 3 or 4 hours today.

I saw several robins a few miles from my home, yesterday. It was real good to see those birds again! One warm January or not, it has been a long winter.

Steve

I'm seeing too many signs here. It concerns me. Most things seem to be around a month early. Geese started migrating north 3 weeks ago and about finished now. I have a pond a quarter mile behind my house they use a stop over. In fact a few will spend part of the winter here. There is a wheat field just across the fence from it and several corn fields within a few mile. The last flock I saw was Wed evening about 250 or so snow geese came in around five and left the next morning. My lilac bushes are leafing out. In fact the tips have already go nipped. My Silver Maple that is usually real late leafing out is very close unless we get some cold weather to discourage it. Peach trees are within 1d0-14 days it appears and most of the spring flowers(tulips,ect) are through the ground. Glad temps have cooled off some. But still things are still way ahead of normal. The skunks came out of hibernation a few weeks ago. And snakes have been seen out on the warm days. Jay

My lilacs have been attempting to bud out all winter. Now that we have a decent snow cover, I am hoping it will hold them off long enough for the weather to actually be correct for them.
Billie

I took a tour around my yard last week to see what I could see--and then never got around to coming back here to post!

I don't have anything starting to grow yet that "shouldn't be," because I don't have anything like lilacs or fruit trees, so at least I don't have to freak out about that! And none of the deciduous trees up here in my neighborhood seem to be budding too much yet, which is kind of surprising considering how warm it had consistently been up until about a month ago!

But I do, happily, have bulbs starting to do their thing! About half of my beds were still under snow when I went out, so there were a lot of places I couldn't check. With the WIND we got up here yesterday (it was at least 50 mph--and I'm pretty sure gusting higher than that at times) almost all the snow melted off, even on the north side of things. Gotta love those chinooks for their Melting Ability! But couldn't do anymore lookin' today since I got another inch last nite--and it was kinda yucky out there most of today!

BUT, of what I was able to see last week, the one that surprised me the most was the species tulips I planted just over a month ago! They're coming up like gangbusters! They're supposed to bloom in April, and I have no doubt that they will! And in this case that's especially good, because I planted them all around my one rhubarb plant, thinking they'd bloom before the rhubarb leafed out too much, and then be hidden as they die down. Looks like that scheme is gonna work!

My snow crocus and regular crocus have been up since by--or before--Thanksgiving. They do that every year, and I don't worry about them anymore. It's amazing what all they can take! The snow crocus are usually the first thing to bloom, so we'll see who wins the race between them and the species tulips this year!

Almost all the established dafs I have are visible above the mulch, many 2-3" high already, and a few of them are coming up but still under the mulch. None of the recently planted ones are showing yet, but I would have been amazed if they weren't behind the established ones.

My hyacinths are coming up but aren't above the mulch yet. They're generally a little behind the dafs, so they're right about where they should be for now!

The Iris reticulata I planted near the end of November was still under snow, but that one started coming up less than a month after I planted it, so I know it's up!

And my goofy fall crocus, Crocus zonatus, are growing like mad--they get lots of nice healthy looking foliage every spring, but I have yet to get a decent flower in fall! In fall they look like they're starting to produce buds, and then 2 or 3 of them will grow on a stem that's not much thicker than sewing thread, and, if there's ANYTHING on top of "the stem" it's a floppy "watery" looking gray-pink "flower" that lasts a day or two--mostly laying on the ground because the stem can't possibly hold up ANYTHING! Wondering if it's the clay that's the problem, and if the same thing happens this fall I might put them in improved soil and give them ONE more chance. But they always look sturdy and healthy in spring, so I really don't get it!

And I also discovered the Star of Persia Allium I got at the Fall '08 swap is well up. It's really pretty and I'll be happy to see that one again!

And one more! I think it's the Chionodoxa forbesii that I planted sometime in December that's coming up next to my shed, but I couldn't find a tag when I was looking, so I'm not positive about that! I know there's a tag in there somewhere, but my hands were getting cold and I didn't feel like digging around anymore! SOMETHING is coming up over there!

I still have a bunch more to plant so I'm getting tired of the cold weather! It's been over a month since I've been able to get anything done out there! A lot of the things I got I'm planting some in two different spots, so It'll be interesting to see how the ones I'll still be planting compare to the ones that got planted earlier. Like I got one batch of the Iris reticulata planted, but not the other batch. It'll be interesting!

They're saying we could get more snow this coming week, so it looks like it'll be at least a week before there's any chance of getting back out there! But at least the cold weather will help those of you who do have fruit trees and flowering bushes.

Hoping for a successful and colorful spring for each of you,
Skybird

Around here, fresh skunk is out splattered on the roads, the prairie dogs are chasing each other, and I've got a some ground squirrels trotting about. I knew that the skunks and prairie dogs come out and breed this time of year then return to their dens for gestation, but I didn't know that squirrels do that as well.

Oh My Gosh!!! Spring has SPRUNG!

I just went out to Enhance my compost pile, and when I took a sightseeing route on the way back in I discovered that my snow crocus are starting to bloom ALREADY! Almost fell over! Couldn't believe they had started to bloom this early in the past, so checked my pics and the earliest they've shown their perky little yellow faces before was on March 3, so they're about a week earlier than normal. I think this is the first time they've ever started blooming in February! They yellow ones always start first, followed by the purple ones--and then come the regular crocus--and the dafs--and.............

I have COLOR! It's gonna be a GOOD summer this year! I know it!

Skybird

P.S. David, I'm not a big fan of living in The Burbs, but at least I don't have to worry about going out of the back door and walking straight into a skunk--like I used to do when I lived down Parker way! My dog got more Tomato Juice Baths than I care to remember!

Just turned over the bags of leaves that were mulching the garlic and saw that they were up at least 2-3". Checked last year's log and saw that I uncovered them March 5. Early!

Found 2 earthworms while sifting compost today... They were quite sleepy, but alive and well. Was surprised to see them so close to the surface. Most of my piles are still frozen, I was only scooping up loose stuff around the edges... My first earthworm sighting of the year, and I've been working out in the yard every day since last week... :)

Besides that, I'm starting to see more puddles in the low spots...

21 days to go...and I'm thinking its on the way. ;)

Leslie in Woodland Park, CO

I saw earth worms on the sidewalk when I was out shoveling snow yesterday, and scraped the blade into the flower bed. So they are right up on the surface.

Now we will see if my vegetable garden theory will work - last fall I put 6-10 inches of combined leaves and grass clippings on top all the beds, hoping that the layer would insulate the ground so it wouldn't freeze - that seems to have worked, and now, to see if the worms will 'till' the soil for me before planting season in May/June.

However, that insulating property works both ways, and the other day when i checked, underneath the layer of mulch, things are thawed, but still, pretty cold. I'll be selecting for worms that work the soil when its less than 40F. :-)

A robin was in the yard, yesterday. He was back on a powerline this morning! It is snowing again . . .

My yard was nearly free of snow and then a wind-driven dump of about 5 or 6 inches happened. Temperatures promptly dropped to near single digitS'. Now, another storm yesterday with Round 2, this afternoon.

My soil will never thaw at this rate. I was out trying to dig a hole to bury "compostables" about 2 weeks ago after a couple nights when the temps didn't drop to freezing. I'd succeeded in mid-December, breaking thru about 8" of frozen ground with my Pulaski.

I hit the ground once and a chip of frozen mud hit me in the eye! The Pulaski was put up and I went in the house . . . an hour later, I found the mud in my shirt pocket.

Last week, I was able to clear off about 3" of mud with a shovel in what I hoped to be a hole. Despite another night or 2 with above-freezing temps, there was still visible ice in that shallow depression. Now, it is covered with snow.

Wind gusts above 30mph and blowing snow, the robin was confused and has flown away.

Steve

More signs of spring in my yard, and this wonderful weather to boot - nothing could be better!

My irises are sprouting new leaves, roses are showing a few signs of leaves, Narcissus buds are getting above ground, and when I dug around removing some leaves/straw/mulch leaves, I found my Yarrow and daisy had new green leaves, too :^)

It was lovely being outside today!! Happy daylight savings time ;^)

Mstywoods, it was gorgeous here too, and I spent most of the day cleaning up the perennial beds. That first day working in the garden is always a reality check for just how out of shape I let myself get over the winter. I'm going to feel that tomorrow! Oh, and note to self, "remember the sunscreen on the gardener's stripe on the lower back."

Tulips and daffodils are poking their heads up now, and a lot of the perennials are showing signs of life as well.

Guess I better hurry up and do some more wintersowing, since winter's almost over!

Bonnie

Just got back from a Carribean vacation and it looks a lot more like spring here. Was finally able to turn the compost pile which never froze solid all winter. The late planted garlic, Dec 19th, is coming up. Tulips have broken the surface. Thyme is starting to grow. Hyssop is turning green. Oregano is green under the mulch. Yarrow is starting to grow. Sage is slowly starting up again. The nursery area is getting full of seedlings and cuttings. I'm sure there are are somethings that I didn't notice today. Spring is here :-) sort of.

The only sign of spring around here is that the furnace didn't come on all day. :(

Anyone know why the "zone" I entered in my profile doesn't show up on my posts? I'm having to type it in every time. :(

We rather suddenly shifted from the 'high in the 40's low in the low 20's' to highs in the 50-60s, lows in the high 20's, which means that burning pine in the wood stove is no longer a good idea, time to shift to the aspen.

Daffodils poking through. Cheat grass off and running. Flickers hammering on the house. Greenhouse getting into the 90's unless I open the door. Stored onions and garlic sprouting.

And best of all, its daylight savings time!!!! My kid gets on the school bus in the dark again!!!!

Here in the west central Denver metro area, I have daffodils, several perennials, garlic, and herbs coming up. Yesterday was a wonderful day for some spring cleaning of beds and rerouting irrigation hoses.

I was just out by the coldframes working a bit and there are already ladybugs and grasshoppers around. Grasshoppers in March?????