"Why, what's the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?"
- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
The biggest storm of the season hit here in late January and it was declared a state-wide emergency due to the ice, cold temperatures and falling snow. Schools and businesses were closed for several days and most supermarket shelves were bare. This wouldn't even make the news in Chicago but here it's very serious due to the freeze and thaw.
Then in a flash it was gone, replaced on February 1 by a very mild 70 degree day. Naturally it drew me back out to the garden where I started attacking the alarming amount of creeping charlie that had not expired in the freeze.
The warm weather has forced daffodils in bloom and the Blueberry shrub has buds on it. The Hellebores are blooming nicely and there is much green in the hollies, ferns, gardenia, camellia, nandina and mahonia .
These minature daffodils have naturalized from my neighbor's yard. They are the earliest to bloom.
Adding a lot of lavender , ornamental grasses and silver plants to the roadside garden gave it both winter color and texture . Backed by evergreen fragrant olives and a Southern Magnolia it has good form and winter interest .
My winter vegetable garden of savoy cabbage, leeks and mustard survived the freezes with row covers and shredded newspapers.
If today is any indication we will have an early Spring. Last year on this day it was -9 .
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