Re: Spring Is Coming?

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No pictures from Albuquerque, but I wish I had a camera handy.  Two foot tall mustards and Hollyhocks sticking out of 5 inches of snow was rather odd looking today, and flowering quince in bright red and greed decked out with snow was rather striking too.  You might say we've had a bit of a set back in the advance of spring.  We had lots of green, fruit trees in bloom, bulbs blooming all over town, etc. etc.  It was near 80F over the weekend, but it rained some over the night Sunday / Monday, and dropped steadily from 60 F at midnight Monday morning to 28 F at midnight Monday night.  That's the coldest it's been in six weeks.  It rained and sleeted all morning Monday and started sticking in the afternoon.  By the time I went home from work there was 5 inches on the car, and this morning another inch.  It only got to 35 F today, and is clear now.  They're talking low teens tonight (it was 19 F the last time I looked at the thermometer, and dropping fast).  Kiss all those Plums and Apricots goodbye this year!  Don't think it will bother the Iris much, since reticulata types are mostly done, most the rest have buds buried in the base of the fans if they're there at all yet.  However, I did see a bunch of nice Dutch Iris in full bloom this morning, covered in snow, and there are SDB's here and there.  I expect they will shift to the color black by sometime tomorrow.  I wonder if the flowering saucer Magnolias will be black tomorrow too?  There might be some IB buds blasted too (haven't looked close for buds, but the foliage is about a foot tall on them now). 

 

Interestingly we only got a dusting of snow at the house last night (50 miles s. of Albuquerque), and it was in the 60's and partly cloudy (with wind) all day on Monday, but it's still going to be just as cold here tonight as in Albuquerque.  Glad we're not on the east side of the mountain; they're forecasting near 0 F over there tonight.

 

I expect most things will be fine, it's still early, but the stone fruit growers in the area probably won't get much on their trees this year (Apples and Pears aren't blooming yet, so should be OK).  The ornamental fruit trees such as Crabs, Plums, and Callery Pear are in full bloom, and they might be a little off color tomorrow too?  Bet there will be lots of blackened leaves on early trees too.  Tonight I brought in some seedling Asian poplars that had leaved out, but I was too late, the leaves are turning black as I watch them.  They'll have to start over.

 

Well - photos would have been more fun - the snow was really heavy and wet, so it stuck to everything - it was really beautiful.  Got'a get a digital camera soon!

 

Dave

central NM USDA Zone 7/8