early spring!

I have lived in the DC area since 1967 and I have never seen a spring arrive this early. Normally March is a difficult month, with all of us sick of winter, desperately waiting for warm weather. We have one warm day, followed by a week of temps in the 40's. Plants respond by teasing us, pushing new growth, but not really committing to actually pushing out leaves. We have to wait until April, and usually mid to late April, for real plant flowering and growth to occur.

this year has been crazy. Spring seems to have occurred all at once. Magnolias have bloomed with or before cherry blossoms. It was so warm that the early magnolias dropped their blooms in less then a week! Leaves are emerging on oaks at the same time as their flowers! Crape myrtle trees, which normally show no sign of growth until late April, have leaf buds on them.

Our last frost date here in DC is historically april 25th. I haven't seen a frost after the 12 of April in years. It's still highly likely that we will have a cold snap, and that some plants might be damaged. Even though it's warm, I am not putting out any annuals until at least mid April.

I am enjoying the warm weather, but, like something that too good to be true, I am holding back celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring, until we get well into april. I just wish that the plants could do the same; I fear that a late frost could do damage..